US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban; app told to find buyer

International

THE US Supreme Court has upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by January 19.

This decision, made without any dissenting opinions, rejects TikTok’s argument that the law violates First Amendment protections for its 170 million American users.

The ruling means that unless ByteDance can find an approved buyer by Sunday, TikTok will be removed from U.S. app stores and cease receiving security updates, potentially leading to its eventual shutdown.

Passed in April 2024, the law was driven by national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government.

Lawmakers from both major political parties have expressed fears that user data could be exploited by Beijing.

TikTok has consistently denied sharing user information with the Chinese government.

The law mandates that ByteDance must sell the U.S. arm of TikTok to a neutral party to mitigate these concerns.

White House stated that enforcement of the law would fall to the incoming administration of President Donald Trump, set to take office on Monday.

Trump, who had previously pushed for a similar ban during his first term, promised to review the situation before making a decision on how to proceed.

In a social media post, he emphasized that he had spoken to China’s President Xi Jinping about TikTok and would make a decision “in the not too distant future.”

The ruling has sparked widespread concern among influencers and content creators, many of whom rely on TikTok for their livelihoods.

Despite the controversy, the ban underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to safeguard national security amid rising tensions with China.(CMM)