Supreme Court to Hear TikTok's First Amendment Challenge to U.S. Ban Ahead of January 19 Deadline

Dec 18, 2024, 04:35 PM

TikTok has filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to block the federal Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which would ban the app in the United States unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok's challenge, scheduling oral arguments for January 10, ahead of the law's effective date of January 19. TikTok argues that the ban violates its First Amendment rights and would "cripple" its U.S. workforce. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged the Supreme Court to reject TikTok's appeal, calling their First Amendment arguments "meritless and unsound." The outcome of the case will determine the future of TikTok's operations in the U.S. and has significant implications for free speech and international business relations.