A U.S. appeals court has set a fast-track schedule to review legal challenges against a new law mandating ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or face a ban.
The case is scheduled for oral arguments in September. Legal briefs from TikTok, ByteDance, and TikTok content creators are due by June 20 and from the Justice Department by July 26. Reply briefs are due by August 15. TikTok aims to resolve the legal challenge without needing emergency preliminary injunctive relief.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, seeks to end Chinese ownership of TikTok on national security grounds but does not aim to ban the app outright. The law also prohibits app stores like Apple and Google from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting it unless ByteDance divests TikTok.
The Justice Department and TikTok seek a ruling by December 6 to allow for a potential Supreme Court review.
