US Defends Law Forcing Sale Of TikTok App

The fate of a law compelling China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer or face a US ban could hinge on whether the Supreme Court sees it as a case of free speech rights or of foreign ownership putting national security at risk (Credit: AFP)

The Justice Department late Friday filed its response to TikTok's civil suit aimed at derailing a law that would force the app to be sold or face a US ban.

TikTok's suit in a Washington federal court argues that the law violates First Amendment rights of free speech.