On Friday morning, Jan. 10, the Court heard oral arguments regarding the Biden administration's law requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance to separate from TikTok, and whether or not it's in violation of the First Amendment.
ByteDance, which is headquartered in China, has until Jan. 19 to separate from the video-sharing app under the law passed last year over national security concerns.
Noel Francisco argued on behalf of ByteDance and TikTok, saying that "the speech itself — this fear that Americans, even if fully informed, could be persuaded by Chinese misinformation. That, however, is a decision that the First Amendment leaves to the people," as reported by Reuters.
The law stems from fears that ByteDance could allow the Chinese government to exploit user data for spying. Both TikTok and ByteDance argue the ban violates the First Amendment and have urged the courts to overturn or delay its enforcement.
The case, which has sparked widespread attention, was streamed live by CBS News. As the deadline approaches, TikTok’s millions of American users await a decision that could impact the platform’s accessibility in the U.S.
Click here to listen to the arguments streamed by CBS News.
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