ByteDance and TikTok could delay a potential US ban on the short-video app after the Supreme Court agreed to hear TikTok’s appeal. The hearing is scheduled for January 10 next year, just over a week before the January 19 deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations.
TikTok may get a chance to delay the ban
Earlier this week, TikTok suffered a major setback when the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected its request to delay the impending ban. However, just one day after the ruling, TikTok escalated the appeal to the Supreme Court, which has now agreed to hear the case.
TikTok has long faced scrutiny from US lawmakers over national security concerns due to its Chinese ownership. Critics fear that the Chinese government could influence ByteDance and access sensitive data from American users.
In response, Congress passed legislation addressing these concerns, which President Biden signed into law. The law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US business to an American company by January 19, 2025, or face a complete ban, which would remove the app from all platforms in the US.
TikTok has argued that the law violates the free speech rights of its 170 million US users under the First Amendment. In a statement following the Supreme Court’s decision, TikTok expressed optimism, saying they “believe the Court will find the TikTok ban unconstitutional.”
The Supreme Court hearing will take place before the presidential transition. President-elect Trump, who previously supported banning TikTok during his first term, recently indicated he would “take a look into the matter.” He is also scheduled to meet TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday, possibly to discuss the app’s future.
If TikTok is banned, the app will be removed from platforms such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. However, users could still access TikTok using VPNs or through the web, although the experience will likely be different.
Do you believe TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses national security risks? Could the US ban the app entirely? Share your thoughts below—we want to hear from you!
Via: NBC News
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TikTok Policy on X
