The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the federal law requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban in the U.S. The ruling, issued just days before the law is set to take effect on Sunday, concludes weeks of heated debate over the app's operations and potential national security concerns.
In oral arguments last week, justices expressed skepticism toward TikTok’s claim that the ban infringes on its First Amendment rights, according to the news source Forbes. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pointed out that the case is more about ByteDance's association than silencing speech. Chief Justice John Roberts argued the law targets foreign ownership and data security, not the platform’s content.
TikTok’s legal team warned of dire consequences, saying the app would “go dark” if the ban is implemented. Content creators also voiced concerns about losing their livelihoods and the platform's unique algorithm, which Justice Samuel Alito likened to “an irreplaceable old article of clothing.”
While the federal government defended the ban as a necessary measure against potential manipulation by China, some justices, including Neil Gorsuch, raised doubts, the Associated Press reported. Gorsuch questioned whether less extreme measures, like warning labels, could address security concerns without infringing on user freedoms.
Despite the contentious debate, the Supreme Court's decision clears the way for the law to take effect as scheduled. For TikTok users and creators, the clock is ticking—unless ByteDance takes swift action to divest its U.S. operations, the app could be shut down as early as this weekend.
Stay tuned as this story unfolds.
