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Supreme Court Likely to Uphold TikTok Ban; App Could Go Dark January 19, Impacting 170 Million Users

Jan 10, 2025, 10:40 PM

The US Supreme Court is poised to decide on a law passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April, which would require TikTok to either divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban by January 19, 2025. During oral arguments, the justices appeared skeptical of TikTok's argument that the ban violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million American users, citing national security concerns about potential manipulation and data access by the Chinese government. TikTok's lawyers have asked the court to delay the ban, warning that the app could "go dark" on January 19 and that creators and small businesses in the US could lose $1.3 billion in revenue and earnings in one month if the ban goes through. Content creators, small businesses, and influencers across the country are bracing for the potential impact on their livelihoods, with many uncertain about where to turn if the platform is shut down.