TikTok Fights Back: DOJ's Secret Filing Sparks Legal Battle

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are challenging the U.S. Justice Department's attempts to submit part of its legal case in secret. The department aims to enforce a law that could force TikTok's divestiture or ban in the U.S. TikTok disputes the national security concerns cited by the DOJ.

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have urged a U.S. appeals court to reject the Justice Department's request to file portions of its legal case in secret. The department seeks court approval to file over 15% of its brief and 30% of its evidence covertly, citing national security concerns related to ByteDance's ownership of TikTok.

If the appeals court does not reject the evidence, TikTok has requested the appointment of a district court judge to review the classified documents. The Justice Department has emphasized national security risks, alleging that TikTok could be manipulated by the Chinese government to covertly influence information consumed by Americans.

The Biden administration has moved to dismiss lawsuits filed by TikTok, ByteDance, and TikTok creators, aiming to enforce a law passed in April that could result in a ban of the app used by 170 million Americans. Despite the lack of evidence showing that the Chinese government has accessed U.S. user data, the risk posed by ByteDance's ownership remains too significant, according to the DOJ.

(With inputs from agencies.)