What’s Going to Happen to TikTok in the U.S.?

TikTok is making a final push to stay operational in the U.S., asking the Supreme Court to temporarily block a law that requires its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app by January 19 or face a ban. TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency request while appealing a lower court’s decision that upheld the law.

The law, passed in April, claims TikTok poses a national security threat due to its access to American users’ data. TikTok argues that if users are aware of the risks, they should be free to choose whether to continue using the app, warning that a shutdown could lead to losing a third of its U.S. user base.

TikTok also insists there is no immediate security threat and that delaying enforcement would allow time for the Supreme Court to consider the law’s legality.

TikTok and ByteDance are requesting a Supreme Court decision by January 6 to prepare for a possible shutdown. The dispute, part of ongoing U.S.-China tensions, also involves claims that the law violates First Amendment rights by restricting free speech.

The law would target TikTok and other foreign-owned apps unless ByteDance divests TikTok by the deadline, potentially setting a precedent for future restrictions on apps like WeChat.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/tiktok-turns-us-supreme-court-last-ditch-bid-avert-ban-2024-12-16/