NEW YORK CITY — The documentary "TikTok Never Dies," directed by filmmaker Hao Wu, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday. The film examines the political and cultural debate surrounding the future of the TikTok application in the United States.
President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2024 that mandated ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, either divest from the platform or face a ban in the U.S. In response to an impending ban, TikTok temporarily suspended service in the U.S. in 2025. ByteDance subsequently sued the U.S. government over the 2024 legislation.
ByteDance also recruited eight TikTok creators to participate in a parallel lawsuit against the government. The documentary follows three of these creators: Steven King, Chloe Sexton, and Topher Townsend. Chloe Sexton built her audience by discussing her single-parent upbringing and her job termination while pregnant.
Wu noted that the legal proceedings focused on balancing free speech rights with national security interests, as opposed to demonstrating concrete harm from the application. He said the decisions were motivated by money, power, or political concerns. "The film becomes how Americans, different types of Americans, argue with each other over this issue," he said.
Donald Trump threatened to block TikTok in August 2020. He brokered a sale of TikTok's U.S. operations in January 2026. The legislation concerning the app underwent evaluation by Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House. "In some way, TikTok did the first round of screening for us," Wu said. ByteDance did not grant him production access despite repeated requests. He said he wants people to think about holding up the ideal of freedom of speech online or the marketplace of ideas. He previously worked in the technology industry in China and directed a documentary titled "People's Republic of Desire" about livestreaming in China.