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TikTok sues the US Government to stop a potential ban
TikTok is suing the U.S. government to stop enforcement of a bill passed last month that seeks to force the app’s Chinese owner to sell the app or have it banned.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., argues that the bill, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates constitutional protections of free speech.
The suit calls the law an “unprecedented violation” of the First Amendment.
“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban,” TikTok wrote in the lawsuit, “and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide.”
The company argues that invoking national security concerns is not a sufficient reason for restricting free speech, and that the burden is on the federal government to prove that this restriction is warranted. It has not met that burden, the lawsuit stated.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A White House spokesperson directed a request for comment to the Justice Department.
John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said: “Congress and the Executive Branch have concluded, based on both publicly available and classified information, that TikTok poses a grave risk to national security and the American people. It is telling that TikTok would rather spend its time, money, and effort fighting in court than solving the problem by breaking up with the CCP. I’m confident that our legislation will be upheld.”
The lawsuit, which had been expected since President Joe Biden signed the bill on April 24, is expected to add to an already lengthy timeline for a potential ban or sale of the app. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, already had more than a year to make a move. Now, legal proceedings will pause that timeline, meaning it could be years before a ban goes into effect.
Tuesday’s lawsuit is the latest development in what has become a multiyear effort by the U.S. government to effectively ban TikTok. Efforts to rein in the popular video-sharing app have persisted since 2020 under both the Trump and Biden administrations. The federal government and dozens of states have already banned the use of TikTok on government-owned devices.
Republican and Democratic politicians and some in the national security community say they’re concerned about TikTok’s data collection and security practices, as well as how the app’s video recommendation algorithm works. Outside experts have looked at these claims with some skepticism, noting the lack of data security laws in the U.S. makes TikTok no different from other apps and that claims about efforts to manipulate public opinion are based on little hard evidence.
Still, TikTok has made some efforts to assure the public and U.S. officials that it takes data security seriously. In 2022, the company started “Project Texas,” a move meant to provide data security and transparency around the information the app collects about U.S. users. That has done little to quell government concern over the app and the Chinese government’s oversight of it.
The lawsuit states that Congress has not offered any evidence suggesting that TikTok poses the types of data security risks or foreign propaganda spread that “could conceivably justify” the law, and has failed to prove that the app poses any specific harm in these areas.
“The statements of congressional committees and individual Members of Congress during the hasty, closed-door legislative process preceding the Act’s enactment confirm that there is at most speculation, not ‘evidence,’ as the First Amendment requires,” the lawsuit states.
TikTok further claims the law violates the right to due process under the Fifth Amendment and is an unconstitutional bill of attainder — or a legislative act declaring a party guilty of a crime, and imposing a punishment for it, without trial.
“Congress has never before crafted a two-tiered speech regime with one set of rules for one named platform, and another set of rules for everyone else,” it stated in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also states that the law is effectively a ban on TikTok, and that ByteDance’s option to divest is “illusory” because it is not commercially, technologically or legally possible, especially within the 270 days outlined by the law.
“According to its sponsors,” the lawsuit stated, “the Act is not a ban because it offers ByteDance a choice: divest TikTok’s U.S. business or be shut down. But in reality, there is no choice.”
If the law remains in place, the lawsuit stated, it would enable the federal government to invoke national security and force the publishers of other platforms, including news sites, to sell or be shut down.
Gautam Hans, an associate clinical professor of law at Cornell University and associate director of its First Amendment Clinic, said in an email statement that overcoming widespread congressional support for the law may prove difficult for TikTok.
“TikTok has prevailed in its previous First Amendment challenges, but the bipartisan nature of this federal law may make judges more likely to defer to a Congressional determination that the company poses a national security risk,” Hans said. “Without public discussion of what exactly the risks are, however, it’s difficult to determine why the courts should validate such an unprecedented law.”
This challenge from TikTok went straight to the D.C. Court of Appeals because of what’s called Exclusive Jurisdiction. It was effectively written in to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act that the only place a challenge to the law could be heard is in this court. The D.C. Court of Appeals is often referred to as the second-highest court in the nation because many cases it decides affect people across the country, not just in its immediate vicinity.
SOURCE: NBC NEWS
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Studio Ghibli Honorary Palme d’or of the 77th Festival de Cannes
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World News
Apple Music’s Top 100 Albums of All Time Day 2: 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Neil Young and more
For in-depth analysis of each album, archival interviews and so much more please visit the new Apple Music 100 Best microsite – updated daily at 9am PT to make it easy for fans to follow along with us.
Albums 90-81 on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list
- 90: Back in Black – AC/DC
- 89: The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition) – Lady Gaga
- 88: I Put a Spell on You – Nina Simone
- 87: Blue Lines – Massive Attack
- 86: My Life – Mary J Blige
- 85: Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
- 84: Doggystyle – Snoop Dogg
- 83: Horses – Patti Smith
- 82: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
- 81: After the Gold Rush – Neil Young
Press Release: https://www.apple.
Apple Music 100 Best: https://100best.music.
Tomorrow we will reveal albums 80-79 on the list. Follow @AppleMusic on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X and be part of the conversation.
World News
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World News
Usher, Solange and Travis Scott Albums Launch Apple Music’s Top 100 Best Albums of All Time list
Apple Music today announced the release of its 100 Best Albums of all time, a celebratory list of the greatest records ever made, crafted by Apple Music’s team of experts alongside a select group of artists, including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon, and Nia Archives, as well as songwriters, producers, and industry professionals. The list is an editorial statement, fully independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music — a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in.
Apple Music is bringing its 100 Best Albums to life with a countdown celebration beginning today, revealing 10 albums each day for the next 10 days, along with a brand-new 100 Best microsite, new and exclusive content, dedicated Apple Music Radio episodes, and so much more. The countdown will culminate on the final day with the reveal of Apple Music’s top 10 albums of all time during a broadcast radio special.
“100 Best brings together all the things that make Apple Music the ultimate service for music lovers — human curation at its peak, an appreciation for the art of storytelling, and unparalleled knowledge of music and an even deeper love for it,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s senior director of content and editorial. “We have been working on this for a very long time, and it’s something we are all incredibly proud of and excited to share with the world.”
“Putting this list together was a true labor of love, both in that it was incredibly difficult to do and in that we are all so passionate about it,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1. “We were tasked with selecting the 100 best — that’s practically mission impossible. But as music fans, it was also amazing to really take a minute and sit and think about the music and albums and artists that we love so much in this context. If this list sparks more debate among fans outside of Apple Music and gets people talking passionately about the music they love, then we’ve done what we set out to do.”
Introducing the Top 100 – 91 Albums
The first 10 albums, revealed today, offer a glimpse into Apple Music’s unique approach with 100 Best. With seven of the 10 records hailing from the 21st century, two from the 90s, only one from the 70s, and various genres represented, the list spotlights contemporary artists like Tyler, The Creator; Robyn; Lorde; Travis Scott; Solange; Burial; and more who have helped define this century through their music and its influence on others.
100. Body Talk, Robyn
99. Hotel California, Eagles
98. ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott
97. Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine
96. Pure Heroine, Lorde
95. Confessions, USHER
94. Untrue, Burial
93. A Seat at the Table, Solange
92. Flower Boy, Tyler, The Creator
91. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, George Michael
“There are so many fun facts for our listeners to discover about these albums,” said Scott Plagenhoef, Apple Music’s global head of music programming. “For example, two of the records revealed today were promoted without the image of the artist, but for opposite reasons — Burial’s Untrue because the artist was still operating anonymously at the time, and George Michael’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 because the artist was actually retreating from fame.”
Discover, Learn, and Share with Friends
To accompany the list, today Apple Music also revealed a dedicated microsite that will update every day of the countdown, making it easy for listeners to follow along. Available now at 100best.music.apple.com, the new 100 Best microsite spotlights in-depth analysis of each album, archival interviews, and more, and makes it easy for fans to share their favourite albums with friends and on their social channels.
Explore records 100-91 of Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums at 100best.music.apple.com.
Follow Along on Apple Music Radio
Fans will also be treated to a full 100 Best Albums Radio takeover on Apple Music Hits, where round-the-clock specials with Apple Music Radio hosts and daily specials at 9 a.m. PT (noon ET) will be broadcasted, plus exclusive content will drop every day on demand on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
The last 10 albums will be revealed on Wednesday, May 22, with a special roundtable discussion broadcasting globally on Apple Music that features guest artists Nile Rodgers and Maggie Rogers reflecting on the list alongside Apple Music’s own Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. Lowe will also curate a special mashup-style DJ mix featuring songs from all 100 Best Albums.
Apple Music will keep the momentum going after the countdown ends with an additional week of 100 Best Albums Radio takeover on Apple Music Hits.
All 100 Best Albums recipients will be given an award comprised of blasted anodized aluminum, sourced entirely from recycled Apple products, in a unique polished PVD gold. The design on the back of the award takes its cues from a vinyl LP record and is inscribed with the artist’s name, the album title, and the album’s year of release.
Explore Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums at 100best.music.apple.com and check back daily to discover the full list. Get exclusive content by following @AppleMusic on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
World News
Ice Spice returns with “Gimmie A Light”
Today, GRAMMY® Award-nominated global superstar Ice Spice returns with “Gimmie A Light” — the first official single from her forthcoming debut album Y2K. Set for release via 10K Projects/Capitol Records, the massively anticipated Y2K is due out later this year. Go here to stream/download “Gimmie A Light,” and check out the video here.
Produced by Ice Spice’s longtime collaborator RiotUSA — who also handled production on career-defining hits like her gold-certified breakout single “Munch (Feelin U)” — “Gimmie A Light” centers on a sample from dancehall legend Sean Paul’s 2002 single “Gimme the Light.” With all the effortless star power that made her an icon soon after emerging from New York drill scene, the Bronx Baddie unleashes a two-minute anthem spotlighting her whip-smart bars, rapid-fire delivery, and potent vocal command. Slick and self-possessed, the result is a high-energy track stacked with bouncy beats and irresistible hooks.
For the video to “Gimmie A Light,” Ice Spice once again joined forces with fellow New York City natives George and Frederick Buford, aka The Evil Twins — the fast-rising filmmaking duo behind the visuals for past hits like “Deli” and “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” (her platinum-certified, chart-topping 2023 collaboration with PinkPantheress). Equal parts fantasy and hyperreality, “Gimmie A Light” places Ice Spice in a dizzying sequence of high-glamour scenarios: sipping Patrón El Alto on the dancefloor with a shiny piece of bling bearing her own likeness; posing with fat stacks of cash in her J’adore Dior baby tee; twerking in the back of a hot-pink Range Rover, surrounded by stuffed animals as the smoke-filled SUV speeds through the streets of her hometown.
Last month at Coachella, Ice Spice thrilled the crowd with a sneak-peak performance of “Gimmie A Light.” Her debut at the famed festival instantly drew raves from the likes of UPROXX, who proclaimed that Ice Spice “will almost certainly headline Coachella in the near future if her trajectory continues.”
Due out later this year, Y2K has been hailed as one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2024. With its title nodding to her birthday (January 1, 2000), Ice Spice’s full-length debut will also include her recent smash single “Think U The Shit (Fart).” The album arrives on the heels of her widely acclaimed debut EP Like..? — a 2023 release that landed on best-of-the-year lists from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and more and featured hits like “Munch (Feelin U)” and the platinum-selling “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana.”
World News
Dennis Bergkamp: 55 Years of Football Brilliance
Dennis Bergkamp, the legendary Dutch footballer, celebrated his 55th birthday today amidst a global outpouring of love and admiration from fans, clubs, and football personalities.
🇳🇱🥳 Happy Birthday to Dennis Bergkamp! What a magnificent player. pic.twitter.com/NVB7bsrBGT
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) May 10, 2024
Known for his exceptional skill and contributions to both Ajax and Arsenal, Bergkamp’s birthday has become a worldwide celebration of his illustrious career, highlighting his impact on the sport and his enduring legacy.
From Ajax to Arsenal, Bergkamp’s artistry on the pitch has left an indelible mark, with fans and experts alike hailing him as one of the greatest players in football history.
There will never be another Dennis Bergkamp 👑🇳🇱pic.twitter.com/qoxxC4ya2O
— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) May 10, 2024
As the tributes pour in, it’s clear that Bergkamp’s influence extends far beyond the trophies and accolades, cementing his place in the hearts of football fans worldwide.
Happy birthday, Dennis Bergkamp, and here’s to many more years of celebrating your remarkable contribution to the beautiful game
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