Chicago – January 12, 2025
During Supreme Court hearings on a law that could force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban in the United States, TikTok’s lawyer warned that this move could set a dangerous precedent for other companies.
The law, which has a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to comply, is being challenged by TikTok and ByteDance, who argue that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects free speech.
Noel Francisco, the lawyer representing TikTok and ByteDance, argued that if the Supreme Court approves this law, it could lead to similar laws targeting other businesses.
He gave the example of AMC movie theaters, which were once owned by a Chinese company, suggesting that Congress could force them to censor certain movies or promote others they prefer.
The justices seemed to lean toward upholding the law, although some expressed concerns about its impact on free speech. TikTok, used by around 170 million people in the U.S., is under scrutiny due to fears that the Chinese government could use it to spy on Americans or spread propaganda.
TikTok creators have also challenged the law, pointing out that other Chinese companies, like Temu, are not being targeted.
