President-elect Trump Asks Supreme Court to Halt TikTok Ban Threatening 170 Million Users

Dec 27, 2024, 07:57 PM

President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok on January 19 unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests from it, seeking time to 'pursue a political resolution'. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on January 15 regarding First Amendment issues related to the ban. In April, Congress voted to ban TikTok unless ByteDance sells it. TikTok has appealed to the First Amendment, arguing that the ban would unconstitutionally stifle the speech of 170 million American users and risk billions in ad revenue and income for U.S. creators. Free-speech groups, including eight organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and members of Congress have filed briefs with the Supreme Court in support of TikTok. An amicus brief submitted by First Amendment and Internet Law scholars contends that the TikTok ban is unconstitutional and evokes censorship regimes of authoritarian enemies. The ACLU stated that banning TikTok would trample on the constitutional rights of millions of Americans, emphasizing the platform's role in allowing people to tell their own stories in crucial moments. The Justice Department has filed its main brief to the Supreme Court, and TikTok has filed its counter in the ongoing legal battle.