Supreme Court Hears TikTok's First Amendment Challenge Ahead of January 19 Ban

Jan 10, 2025, 12:05 PM

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in TikTok's challenge to a federal law signed by President Joe Biden last April, requiring the social media app to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide ban effective January 19. TikTok, which has about 170 million users in the U.S., argues that the ban violates the First Amendment's free speech protections. The case, considered one of the most important of the social media age, pits national security concerns against free speech rights, as the government contends that TikTok poses a threat due to its Chinese ownership. The outcome will determine whether TikTok, used by roughly half of the U.S. population for entertainment and information, can continue operating in the United States.