TikTok has promised to sue over the potential US ban. What’s the legal outlook?

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Legislation forcing TikTok’s parent company to sell the video-sharing platform or face a ban in the U.S. has received President Joe Biden’s official signoff. But the newly minted law could face an uphill battle in court. Critics of the sell-or-be-banned ultimatum argue that it violates TikTok users’ First Amendment rights. The app’s China-based owner, ByteDance, has already promised to sue, calling the legislation unconstitutional. Whether a court challenge could successfully block a potential TikTok ban treads into murky waters. The law’s opponents, which include advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, maintain that the government hasn’t come close to justifying such action — while others say that national-security claims could still prevail.