Supreme Court Signals Likely Upholding of TikTok Ban on January 19 Over ByteDance Ties

Jan 10, 2025, 05:53 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has signaled that it is likely to uphold a ban on TikTok, set to take effect on January 19, following more than two hours of oral arguments. The justices appeared skeptical of TikTok's arguments that the ban violates First Amendment rights, focusing instead on national security concerns related to the app's ties to China. The law, which requires TikTok to divest from its parent company ByteDance or face a ban, was approved by Congress in April. Justices from both sides of the political spectrum questioned the implications of the law on TikTok's operations and the potential for foreign control over the app, which is used by 170 million Americans. The Supreme Court's decision on whether to temporarily block the ban could come quickly, before the justices fully resolve underlying questions about speech protections.