Judge orders US to delay TikTok ban or file arguments supporting it by Friday
- Federal judge Carl Nichols makes ruling at hearing on preliminary injunction request by ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, on ban set for Sunday night
- Ruling comes as ByteDance seeks approval from the government for its proposed deal with Oracle Corp and Walmart for its US operations
A US judge directed the Trump administration on Thursday either to delay its ban of the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, set to go into effect on Sunday night, or file a brief on Friday defending its position.
The ruling by Federal District Judge Carl Nichols came at a hearing requested by TikTok’s owner ByteDance for a preliminary injunction halting the ban as it seeks approval from the government for its proposed deal with Oracle Corp and Walmart for its US operations.
Nichols, based in Washington, gave the administration until Friday afternoon either to agree to delay the ban or file a response to Bytedance’s motion for an injunction.
If the government opts not to postpone the ban, Nichols said he would hold a hearing on the motion on Sunday morning, Bloomberg News reported.
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Global expansion of TikTok and other Chinese tech companies is likely, only not in the West
TikTok and ByteDance argue that the administration has acted without proper due process and in violation of the First Amendment.