Emergency petition urges halt to TikTok ban
The Liberty Justice Center filed an emergency petition alongside some TikTok creators, asking the court to halt the Jan. 19 ban until the U.S. Supreme Court gives its final ruling on the legal challenge.
The emergency petition argues that the act violates the First Amendment because it bans all speech on TikTok, even though all, or nearly all, of that speech is constitutionally protected. In particular, the ban would silence BASED Politics Inc., a nonprofit that uses social media platforms, including TikTok, to publish educational content on free markets and individual rights, the petition claims.
The executive director of the American Parents Coalition, Alleigh Marré, argued in favor of the ban, stating that the court’s ruling encourages parents who want to ensure their kids are protected from the Chinese-owned TikTok.
“TikTok’s algorithm is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Marré said. “We’ve seen the app exploit children by promoting content glorifying suicide, eating disorders, and other harmful trends. We need to stop the emotional and psychological harm being inflicted on our kids through this harmful app.”
Marré is a vocal supporter of the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that aims to protect children from the harms of social media, gaming sites and other online platforms.
American Parents Coalition is a parental rights nonprofit responsible for TikTok is Poison, which provides examples of it says are the effects TikTok on minors.
Read more at the Center Square.
