Court will hear challenges to TikTok ban on Sept. 16
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A U.S. appeals court will hold oral arguments on Sept. 16 to hear challenges to a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based parent company does not divest ownership by Jan. 19, per a Monday order.
Why it matters: TikTok and ByteDance are challenging the constitutionality of the law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's business in the U.S. The legal proceedings could determine the whether an app with more than 150 million users in the U.S. remains available for download.
Catch up quick: TikTok and creators challenged the "divest or ban" law by arguing that it is "at odds with the Constitution's commitment to both free speech and individual liberty."
- The law set a Jan. 19 deadline for divestment, which the lawsuit argues is not possible.
Between the lines: China's government has signaled it would block any forced sale of TikTok by ByteDance.
Flashback: Some members of Congressed previously raised constitutional questions about legislation targeting a specific company by name — a point in the lawsuit.
- "Congress has never before crafted a two-tiered speech regime with one set of rules for one named platform, and another set of rules for everyone else," TikTok and ByteDance said in a May petition.
What to watch: The court challenge could push the timeline for a potential ban beyond January, the timing set out in the legislation.
- If a ban does come into force, the app would likely disappear from app stores but not from phones that had already downloaded it, per AP.
Go deeper: "Perils of TikTok" thriller moves to the next reel
