Researchers file lawsuit against Texas's TikTok ban, claim it is unconstitutional

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in New York filed a lawsuit on July 13 on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research claiming that the Texas TikTok ban violates the First Amendment.

The ban was initially imposed by Gov. Greg Abbott last year, according to a July 13 news release, and requires all state agencies, even public universities, to bar employees from downloading or using TikTok on state-owned or state-issued devices or networks, and on personal devices used for state business.

“The lawsuit challenges the ban’s application to public university faculty, asserting that it compromises academic freedom and impedes vital research,” according to the news release.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, said in the news release that banning TikTok is not a sensible or constitutional response to the fear that it may be collecting data.

“Texas must pursue its objectives with tools that don’t impose such a heavy burden on First Amendment rights,” he said. “Privacy legislation would be a good place to start.”

When Abbott announced the ban in February, he said said that TikTok was owned by a Chinese cosplay that employs Chinese Communist Party members.

“The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored,” said Abbott in a Feb. 6 news release.

At least 35 other states have banned TikTok on state devices and networks. State university systems or universities in 20 states have banned TikTok on university devices, university networks, or both, according to the July 13 news release.