This fall, TikTok will go to court against the US Department of Justice in an attempt to overturn a law that could lead to a ban on the app in the country. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled hearings in two cases in which plaintiffs are challenging the law for September.
The TikTok administration filed a lawsuit in May, arguing that the law on the forced change of ownership of the company is unconstitutional. According to the platform’s management, its exit from ByteDance is “simply impossible,” and it has already held negotiations with the authorities regarding issues related to US national security. A group of TikTok bloggers is also trying to challenge the law, adds NIXSOLUTIONS. They argue that the law violates their First Amendment rights to free speech by preventing bloggers from communicating on the platform. TikTok is paying the legal costs in this case.
Implications and Future Developments
The appeals court will hear both cases, which have been combined, in September. The administration of the short video platform was pleased with the decision to schedule the hearing for September. It is seeking to speed up the consideration of the case, which could end up in the Supreme Court. We’ll keep you updated on the developments as they unfold.