KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — TikTok argued in federal court Monday that a law that could ban the platform was unconstitutional. It said banning the platform would run afoul if its American users First Amendment rights, and argued it was unfairly targeted by the new law. Attorneys also argued that TikTok Inc. — the United States arm of the platform — is an American entity.
However, attorneys for the Justice Department argued in court that the platform collected data which the Chinese government may coerce TikTok, and its parent company ByteDance, to share. It also argued that TikTok's algorithm could be manipulated by Chinese authorities.
Meanwhile, users and content creators in East Tennessee are waiting for a ruling on whether the app will still be available after the Jan. 19, 2025 deadline.
"TikTok is my favorite app on my phone," said Alexa Durben, a TikTok user and University of Tennessee student.
The app has also given staff at the University of Tennessee the chance to connect with students and show them new ways to make content and find audiences online.
"I want my students to leave with what makes a compelling video, not what makes a trendy video," said Matthew Pittman, a professor and the director of the UT Social Media Command Center.
He uses TikTok as a part of his lessons, showing students the fundamentals of social media analytics and content creation. While he encourages his students to cross-post content, putting it on several different platforms, some content creators are worried they could lose audiences if the app is banned.
"It is going to hut a lot of people like myself, or those people much more involved on TikTok," said Michael Galyean, whose videos were shared widely in the fall of 2022. "Overnight success can happen on things like TikTok."
He said TikTok helped him develop his own brand and also helped him launch his own children's book.
Some students at UT also said that if the platform were to be banned, they would move on to another social media app.
"People are going to try to find a new way to express themselves," said Kaitlyn Kirkpatrick, a TikTok user and UT student.