NEW YORK (NEWSnet/AP) — A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on July 13 regardingthe state’s TikTok ban on official devices. The group argued that the ban is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom.

The complaint was filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech group suing on behalf a coalition of academics and researchers who study technology’s impact.

The lawsuit said the state’s decision to restrict access to TikTok on official devices, as well as on personal devices used to conduct state business, compromises teaching and research. More specifically, it is “seriously impeding” faculty pursuing research into the app.

Critics of TikTok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, have claimed the app could push pro-Beijing propaganda or channel U.S. user data to the Chinese government. TikTok maintains it hasn’t revealed any U.S. data to the Chinese government and wouldn’t do so if asked.

Congress and the White House have banned TikTok use on official devices, citing espionage fears.

Texas implemented its own ban in December as a flurry of similar prohibitions were being put in place by dozens of states and several universities across the country. In June, Abbott signed legislation that codified the ban, first issued as an executive order.

In an interview, Jameel Jaffer, the Knight Institute’s executive director, said the group decided to sue Texas after speaking to professors who have been been affected by the ban.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, cites one professor at University of North Texas, Jacqueline Vickery, who has had to suspend or alter research projects as a result of the ban. The lawsuit said the ban also precludes Vickery from assigning students work that requires them to access TikTok or accessing videos for reference during class discussions.

University administrators have told Vickery her applications for an exception will not be considered, according to the lawsuit, which also lists the school system’s chancellor and members of the board of regents as defendants.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office did not immediately reply for a request for comment.

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