A U.S. District Judge, Robert Pitman, has upheld a Texas law that bans the use of the Chinese app TikTok on government devices within the state. This decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at New York’s Columbia University, representing the Coalition for Independent Technology Research. The group, comprising journalists, professors, and others, argued that the ban infringes upon the First Amendment rights of faculty at public universities.
However, Judge Pitman disagreed with this assertion, declaring the ban a “reasonable, viewpoint-neutral restriction on a nonpublic forum.” He noted that unlike broader bans in other states, the Texas law only applies to state devices and networks. This allows those impacted by the ban to still use TikTok on their personal devices and networks, provided they do not access state networks.
This ruling contrasts with a decision made last month in Montana, where a judge blocked a more extensive statewide ban on TikTok, labeling it unconstitutional. The plaintiffs in the Texas case acknowledged having concerns about TikTok, similar to those raised about other major platforms, including American ones like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However, they argued that the fears related to TikTok’s connections to the Chinese communist regime were speculative and didn’t justify the application of the Texas ban to faculty at public universities.
Breitbart News has reported extensively on the concerns surrounding TikTok. It is widely regarded as a tool for Chinese surveillance and psychological operations, masquerading as a social media platform. Issues associated with TikTok include physical dangers to children and teens, national security threats, and interference in U.S. elections. Additionally, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company based in China, has been accused of spying on U.S. journalists.
This ruling by Judge Pitman supports the growing scrutiny and measures against TikTok, particularly in government sectors, due to its alleged ties to the Chinese gov. and the potential risks that poses to U.S. interests and security.
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