Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has threatened to challenge a potential TikTok ban on constitutional grounds. In a statement released on Friday, Kennedy argued that the ban, which is being considered by the U.S. government due to concerns about data security, is a violation of free speech and an attempt to appease anti-China sentiment.
Kennedy’s comments come just days after President Biden included language in a $95 billion spending bill that could ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the app.
ByteDance has denied plans to sell TikTok, despite the potential ban. In a statement, the company said that “foreign media reports that ByteDance is exploring the sale of TikTok are untrue” and that it “doesn’t have any plan to sell TikTok.”
A spokesperson for TikTok also said in a statement that the law is “unconstitutional” and that they “will challenge it in court.”
Kennedy echoed this sentiment, arguing that China doesn’t own the majority of TikTok and that the company has already agreed to put its data behind a U.S. firewall. He accused the Biden administration of rejecting this deal and prioritizing political posturing over the interests of young Americans who use TikTok as an entrepreneurial platform.
“The TikTok ban is yet another example of how neither political party has any compunctions about sacrificing your freedoms, rights, and choices, when it serves their political interests,” Kennedy said.
If Kennedy follows through on his threat to file a lawsuit, it will add to the legal challenges already facing the potential TikTok ban. Several other lawsuits have been filed by TikTok users and creators who argue that the ban is unconstitutional. The outcome of these lawsuits could have a significant impact on the future of TikTok in the United States.
