TikTok will present its case on Monday against a U.S. law that could ban the popular social media app unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divests the platform within nine months.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, addresses concerns that the Cusers’ government might exploit U.S. users’ data.
TikTok, which claims over 170 million users in the U.S., and ByteDance have consistently denied any ties to Chinese authorities, characterizing the law as a severe infringement on free speech rights. The company will argue its case before a three-judge panel at an appeals court in Washington, D.C.
In a unique move, TikTok representatives will be joined by eight content creators—ranging from a Texas rancher to a Tennessee baker—who rely on the platform for marketing and income.
Their testimonies are expected to highlight the app’s impact on small businesses and individual livelihoods.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) will counter TikTok’s, presenting their case on national security grounds. Concerns have been raised about the potential for TikTok to be used by the Chinese government to spread propaganda or manipulate U.S. users.
However, defenders of free speech argue that enforcing such a law could set a dangerous precedent. Xiangnong Wang, a staff attorney at Columbia University’s First Amendment Institute, has filed an amicus brief in the case.
Wang warned that upholding the law could encourage authoritarian regimes to impose similar restrictions on access to information and media.
“The bro” d scope of this restriction on First Amendment rights, based on undisclosed evidence, is unprecedented,“ Wang s “id. “Repress” governments could use this as a justification for their censorship.”
The marks a critical moment in the ongoing debate over data privacy, national security, and free speech, with significant implications for U.S. policy and global internet governance.
