US Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to TikTok ban – JURIST
The US Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear TikTok’s challenge against a federal law that could force the shutdown of its platform next month.
TikTok filed an emergency petition Monday challenging the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Signed into law in April as part of a broader appropriations package, the act prohibits TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance from operating TikTok in the US unless they execute a “qualified divestiture” that separates the platform from foreign adversary control. The law requires TikTok to break ties with ByteDance by January 19, with a possible 90-day extension, or face a nationwide ban enforced through restrictions on app stores and internet hosting services.
TikTok’s Supreme Court appeal followed last week’s unanimous ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upholding the law.
In their filing, TikTok and ByteDance argued the ban would violate First Amendment protections and cause irreparable harm to their business. The companies contend Congress failed to consider less restrictive alternatives and lacked evidence of actual national security threats.
If it moves forward as planned, the ban would take effect one day before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who unsuccessfully attempted to ban TikTok during his first term, but who has recently indicated opposition to restrictions on the platform.
Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10. The Supreme Court’s response could determine whether one of America’s most popular social media platforms — which boasts some 170 million US users — continues operating in its current form.
