The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok’s challenge against a federal law that could ban the app by next month. The law, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, requires TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban. TikTok argues that the law violates its First Amendment rights.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on January 10, with a decision expected before the law takes effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit previously upheld the law, citing national security concerns about the Chinese government’s potential influence over TikTok. The Justice Department has defended the law on similar grounds, emphasizing the risk of data access and content manipulation by the Chinese government.
TikTok’s appeal to the Supreme Court comes after a federal appeals court ruled that the government’s national security concerns justified the potential ban, outweighing any free speech issues. The Supreme Court’s expedited schedule allows for a ruling before the law’s implementation and Trump’s inauguration.
President-elect Trump has expressed a favorable view of TikTok, stating he has “a warm spot” for the platform and suggesting it played a role in his electoral success among young voters. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew recently met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
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