How did 3 US internet celebrities defeat the TikTok US ban plan?
3 US TikTok internet celebrities sued the U.S. government for victory, which became the key to this app’s continued foothold in the United States. The lawsuit looks like a grassroots effort, but people familiar with the matter said that TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, planned behind the scenes.
On November 12, the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that it would temporarily not implement the TikTok US ban plan on Internet operator TikTok, from providing services. If the ban is enforced, technically the TikTok app can be completely disabled in the United States. TikTok is a product of Chinese network technology company ByteDance.
At the beginning of September this year, several TikTok influencers, mostly in their early 20s, discussed a heavy question on a Zoom conference call:
Should they confront the US government and fight the TikTok US ban plan?
The US government previously stated that TikTok threatened US national security and worried that ByteDance, its parent company in China, would collect sensitive user data and share it with the Chinese government.
Federal Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, ruled that he will issue a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s executive order against TikTok.
The popular short video app TikTok’s method of collecting user data is not unique, but because its parent company is located in China, the US government has labeled it a threat to national security.
After discussions, Doug Marland, a 23-year-old comedian from New Jersey, raised his hand to join a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration’s TikTok US ban plan. Two other people joined voluntarily, namely musician Alec Chambers and fashion designer Cosette Rinab.
In September of this year, the 3 creators on the TikTok short video platform filed a lawsuit in a Philadelphia court, to challenge the TikTok US ban plan. The court issued a temporary injunction against the presidential injunction at the end of October.
The 3 have a total of 7.4 million followers on TikTok and rely on this app to make a living. They pointed out in the lawsuit, that the TikTok US ban plan would mean that they would lose income and would limit their ability to express themselves.
But for this Chinese technology company that has suffered from twists and turns in the United States, it cannot be but more than relieved. The company also filed a lawsuit against another injunction issued by Trump to spin off TikTok on November 10, hoping to further win this battle for survival and fight the TikTok US ban plan.
Megan Davies is a reporter for White Pine Tribune. After graduating from the University of Toronto, Megan got an internship at the CBC News and worked as a reporter and editor. Megan has also worked as a reporter for Global Toronto. Megan covers economy and community events for White Pine Tribune.
