Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi sued over approval of TikTok U.S. deal and enforcement of 2024 divestiture law
The Facts
- President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi were sued on Thursday over the U.S. government’s approval of a deal involving TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance and a majority American-owned joint venture for TikTok’s U.S. operations.
- The lawsuit was filed by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two retail U.S. investors who hold shares in Alphabet and Meta Platforms.
- The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit).
- The lawsuit argues Trump’s approval of the deal violated requirements set out in a 2024 law requiring TikTok/ByteDance to divest or face a U.S. ban.
- Multiple reports state the 2024 law required ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations by Jan. 19, 2025.
- The lawsuit does not seek to force a ban on TikTok.
- The lawsuit seeks a renegotiation of the deal, including to avoid putting administration allies in a position to censor political content on the platform.
Context
Who is suing, and who is being sued?
The suit was brought by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two retail investors (shareholders in Alphabet and Meta) and names President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi as respondents. U.S. News & World R… Hill
What law is at the center of the dispute?
The case centers on a 2024 law—described in coverage as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act—that required TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a U.S. ban. Fox Business Washington Examiner news.bloomberglaw.c…
What does the lawsuit allege about how the deal handled TikTok’s technology and ByteDance’s role?
According to the complaint as described by Forbes and other outlets, the suit alleges ByteDance continues to own and operate TikTok U.S.’s recommendation algorithm and licenses it to the new U.S. entity, and that ByteDance maintains an ongoing operational relationship with TikTok. Forbes PYMNTS.com
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