TikTok to fight back against Trump’s August 6th executive order as soon as Monday”
However, even if ByteDance is able to challenge the August 6th order, it will still have to divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. That’s because the August 14th order does not face a judicial review. Under the earlier order, U.S. companies could be blocked from advertising on the site, TikTok employees in the states might not be allowed to get paid, and landlords might even be forced to evict TikTok workers from any property they leased or rented to them. Additionally, the U.S. could force TikTok to be defended by attorneys from outside of the country.
Earlier this month, TikTok said that it might fight back against the Trump administration by arguing that the executive order was rushed out, blindsiding the company. Normally, a company being targeted by the Feds receives a subpoena and has a confidential meeting with the DOJ. Where TikTok plans on filing its lawsuit as soon as Monday is unknown. While the company previously said that it would explore its legal options, employees were said to be considering their own separate law suit.
For those wondering whether the president has the authority to issue the executive orders, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that a 1977 law allows the president to regulate interstate commerce to safeguard the country from unusual events. McEnany said, “The administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber threats.” She noted that apps like TikTok “collect significant amounts of private data on users.”
