TikTok creators file lawsuit to block US divestment or ban law

A group of TikTok creators said Tuesday that they filed a lawsuit in a US federal court to block a new law signed by President Joe Biden, which would force divestment from the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban it.

The plaintiff TikTok users include a Texas Marine Corps veteran who sells produce from his ranch, a Tennessee woman who sells cookies and talks about parenting, a North Dakota college coach who makes commentary videos sports and a recent graduate from North Carolina who defends the rights of survivors of sexual assault.

“Although they come from different places, professions, lifestyles, and political beliefs, they are united in their belief that TikTok provides them with a unique and irreplaceable means to express themselves and form community,” the lawsuit says.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, a law firm representing the creators, provided Reuters with a copy of the lawsuit, which it said had been filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The lawsuit, which seeks injunctive relief, says the law threatens free speech and “promises to shut down a discreet media outlet that has become a part of American life.”

Last week, TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a similar lawsuitarguing that the law violates the United States Constitution for several reasons, including failure to comply with the free speech protections of the First Amendment.

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