PALO ALTO, Calif. — A U.S. judge on Monday weighed whether constitutional rights should be extended to TikTok despite the company’s Chinese ownership, as the popular short-video app argued a “sell or ban” bill infringes on free speech.
In the lawsuit filed by TikTok and other entities, the company argued that the divestitures mandated by the U.S. government under the Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act were unconstitutional. It is alleged that the law violates the First Amendment rights of U.S. users and the company’s right to equal protection under the law.
