TikTok Ban? Supreme Court to Decide the App’s Fate Next Month

The U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will hear TikTok’s appeal against a federal law that could ban the app as early as next month. The decision comes just one day after TikTok filed its challenge, signaling the urgency of the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10, with the court expected to decide whether to temporarily block the law before it takes effect on January 19.

The legislation at the center of the dispute is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, the law requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a U.S.-based company—or face a nationwide ban.

TikTok argues the law violates its First Amendment rights, claiming that the platform serves as a space for free expression and creativity for millions of Americans. The app’s legal team is urging the Supreme Court to halt the law before it disrupts the lives of its 150 million U.S. users and the creators and businesses that rely on the platform.

While agreeing to hear the case, the court did not issue a provisional block on the law, leaving its January 19 implementation date in place for now. By scheduling arguments for early January, the court is moving at an unusually swift pace, likely aiming to resolve the issue before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

In lower courts, the Justice Department has defended the law on national security grounds, citing concerns that the Chinese government could exert influence over ByteDance and, by extension, TikTok. They argue that this poses a significant risk to U.S. users’ data and overall security.

TikTok, however, has consistently denied such claims, emphasizing its transparency practices and data security measures. The company has proposed alternatives, such as increased U.S.-based oversight, but lawmakers remain skeptical.