TikTok and US seek to fast-track suit on divest-or-ban law
- Parent company ByteDance and the US Justice Department were joined by content creators in asking an appeal court for a ruling by December 6
- The China-based firm is facing a January 19 deadline to divest the short-video platform’s US assets or face a ban
The US Justice Department and TikTok on Friday asked a US appeal court to set a fast-track schedule to consider the legal challenges to a new law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets by January 19 or face a ban.
TikTok, ByteDance and a group of TikTok content creators joined with the Justice Department in asking the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to rule by December 6 to be able to seek review from the Supreme Court if needed before the US deadline.
On Tuesday, a group of TikTok creators filed suit to block the law that could ban the app used by 170 million Americans, saying it has had “a profound effect on American life”.
Last week, TikTok and parent company ByteDance filed a similar lawsuit, arguing that the law violates the US Constitution on a number of grounds including running afoul of First Amendment free speech protections.
“In light of the large number of users of the TikTok platform, the public at large has a significant interest in the prompt disposition of this matter,” the US Justice Department and TikTok petitioners said.
TikTok said with a fast-track schedule it believes the legal challenge can be resolved without it needing to request emergency preliminary injunctive relief.