Twelve social justice and racial justice organizations declared on Thursday (June 27) that the federal attempt to compel TikTok to be sold or banned would stifle expression from minority communities by interfering with a vital tool that many use to build online relationships and promote issues.
Looming TikTok Ban in US
To address concerns from both political parties regarding the well-known app, TikTok and its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, have filed a legal brief with a federal court in Washington.
The brief comes amid a significant legal struggle against the bill that would disrupt the platform's operations in the United States.
Third-party organizations defending the social video platform and the eight TikTok producers who sued the US government last month have until this Thursday to submit their supporting documentation.
In their complaint, the racial and social justice groups contend that talks surrounding the law were tainted by anti-Asian attitudes.
The proposal, which is the first time the US has singled out a social media business for a possible ban, has also drawn opposition from a large number of TikTok producers.
According to The Detroit News, ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok, with an additional three months if the deal is ongoing.
Advocacy Groups Claim TikTok Ban Violates First Amendment Rights
The groups stated in the brief that TikTok has been helpful in promoting a number of causes, including women's rights and opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the nation.
Other organizations that have mirrored the points TikTok raised in its lawsuit toward the government have also supported the company.
Seven more advocacy groups that support free expression filed a brief with the court on Wednesday night, claiming that the regulation would violate the First Amendment and prevent users from forming associations on the app, NBC 4 reported.
A few digital rights organizations, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have previously endorsed the business or joined forces with it in a related legal action against Montana earlier this year.
Additionally, on Thursday, the libertarian public interest organization Institute For Justice and Reason Foundation submitted a brief in support of TikTok's free expression assertions.
The Susquehanna Foundation, a sister organization to the trading business co-founded by well-known ByteDance investor and Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, has donated to both nonprofits.
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