The popular short video company said the law is 'obviously unconstitutional'. AP
The popular short video company said the law is 'obviously unconstitutional'. AP
The popular short video company said the law is 'obviously unconstitutional'. AP
The popular short video company said the law is 'obviously unconstitutional'. AP

TikTok sues US government over potential ban, citing First Amendment


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TikTok is suing the US government over a new law that will force its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest the popular video app or face a ban across the country, which it says would breach First Amendment rights.

The lawsuit marks the first legal challenge since Congress passed the law in April, with TikTok saying the legislation will stifle free speech and hurt creators and small business owners who benefit from the platform, in breach of their rights enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

The company previously said it has spent more than $1.5 billion to isolate its US operations and agreed to oversight by American company Oracle, Bloomberg reported.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide,” the company said in a filing on Tuesday with the US Court of Appeals in Washington.

The popular short video company alleged the law is so “obviously unconstitutional” that the sponsors of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act are trying to portray it not as a ban but as a regulation of TikTok's ownership.

ByteDance has nine months to sell the platform but the company said it has no plans to sell, according to the Associated Press.

The legal battle comes after President Joe Biden signed into law a Ukraine-Israel aid package that includes the TikTok provision.

Explained: The battle over TikTok's future in America – video

The President signed the law despite his re-election campaign using the platform for reach younger voters.

Former president Donald Trump used an executive order to try to force a sale of the app to an American company or face a ban but his administration also faced legal challenges and judges blocked it from taking place.

“There is no question: the act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere,” the company said.

TikTok chief executive Shou Chew said in a video on the app the day the bill was signed: “Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on you and your voice.

“Politicians may say otherwise but don’t get confused. Many who signed the bill say the TikTok ban is the ultimate goal.”

The fight over TikTok takes place as US-China relations have shifted to that of intense strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technology and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security.

Politicians from both US parties, as well as administration and law enforcement officials, have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over user data or sway public opinion by manipulating the algorithm that populates users' feeds.

Meanwhile, TikTok and other platforms have been hit with hundreds of lawsuits blaming them for young people becoming addicting to social media and causing mental distress.

Montana became the first US state to enact a law that would ban residents from using the app. In December, a federal judge sympathised with TikTok’s free speech argument in blocking the Montana measure while the legal challenge plays out.

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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

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Lexus LX700h specs

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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

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One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Updated: May 07, 2024, 6:05 PM