Billings lawyer says TikTok case balance of free speech and national security
Jan 16, 2025
The TikTok ban, even though it's just three days away, is not a certainty.The app can be saved if it finds an American owner to buy it, and it has been rumored that Elon Musk may be interested.The ban is also being challenged in the nation's highest court, with arguments being made over First Amendment concerns, and with the plaintiffs calling it "unconstitutionally overbroad."That case was heard by U.S. Supreme Court justices last week, but a ruling has yet to be handed down.A Billings lawyer spoke on the legality behind the ban saying there's a lot of gray area and it comes down to free speech and security issues.It's definitely a freedom of speech versus national security debate right now, said Kasodie West, AVA Law Firm managing partner. I don't think that either political party, I don't believe that Biden or Trump truly want to ban TikTok. They want TikTok to remain. We just have to find a better system, whether that be an American owner or better security systems that we're able to implement within the app. Very hard to come up with a clear cut decision, and that's why it's in front of the best, which is the Supreme Court.The Supreme Courts website states it may announce opinions on the case on its homepage starting at 8 a.m. Friday.