Sale Deadline Looms as TikTok Waits for Supreme Court Decision
Time is running out for TikTok. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could decide the fate of the popular social media platform could come any day, with a ban on TikTok set to take effect in less than a week.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering TikTok’s request to overturn a law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year that would The app is effectively banned in the United States If TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance fails to sell it by Sunday, January 19, to a buyer deemed suitable by U.S. officials.
TikTok and U.S. government lawyers Oral arguments were heard in court Friday, TikTok alleged that a ban would violate the First Amendment rights of the company and its users. But based on questions and comments raised during the more than two hours of hearings, the justices appeared more sympathetic to the government’s argument that the case is not about free speech but about the dangers it poses. Foreign rivals, such as China.
It’s unclear when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling, but it’s likely to come before the January 19 sales deadline. There is also the possibility that the court could issue a stay, putting the law on hold until President-elect Donald Trump takes office a day later on January 20.
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Lawmakers from both parties have long expressed concern that TikTok could pose a threat to national security and could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread disinformation to advance China’s agenda.
TikTok continues to deny the accusations. Before a congressional vote earlier this year, TikTok revives U.S. userscalling on them to urge representatives on Capitol Hill to vote down the ban. But the measure ultimately passed the House and Senate by wide margins and was signed by Biden.
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But Trump, who pushed for the ban during his first term, now says he no longer supports it. Last week, Trump’s lawyers Amicus briefs filed in this case. Instead of taking sides, they asked the court to delay the injunction to give Trump time to come up with a “political solution.”
So what’s next for lawmakers and TikTok? Here’s what you need to know.
What role does the law play?
The law aims to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a buyer approved by U.S. officials and guarantee that ByteDance can no longer access U.S. user data or control the TikTok algorithm that determines which videos U.S. users watch.
TikTok has nine months to comply, so the deadline is January 19, at which point the government may require its app to be removed from U.S. app stores. The President can grant a 90-day extension. Additionally, on Monday, two U.S. senators announcedLegislation would give TikTok an extra nine months.
TikTok has long said selling was not an option. During oral arguments on Friday, the company’s Noel Francisco said TikTok would effectively be “plunged into darkness” if the ban did go into effect. In fact, the app is more likely to slowly die. It will no longer be available in the Google and Apple App Stores, and current users will not be able to get software updates, which will eventually make the app too buggy to use.
Biden signed the bill establishing these requirements and will remain in office until Inauguration Day, January 20.
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What to do next?
Trump initially called for a ban during his first term as president, but said during the 2024 campaign that he did not support a ban and promised to “save TikTok,” although he did not specify how he would do that.
At a December press conference, Trump pointed to TikTok’s role during the election, crediting it with helping him win the votes of young people.
“TikTok has had an impact, so we’re looking at it,” Trump told the media. “I feel a little warm inside. To be honest.”
trump card explain In March, he told CNBC’s Squawk Box that while he still believed the app posed a threat to national security, he no longer believed the app should be banned, saying: “A lot of little kids on TikTok wouldn’t be able to It will go crazy.”
Trump added that banning TikTok would only strengthen the power of Facebook, which he called the “enemy of the people.”
In September, Trump promised to “Learn about Douyin”, according to the Associated Press. But in one An interview that aired on “Meet the Press” last monthTrump did not directly say whether or how he would help TikTok avoid a ban.
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Who is against TikTok ban?
Free speech and digital rights groups and some security experts have long opposed the idea of a ban, saying targeting TikTok alone would do nothing to address broader problems with social media. Several people filed briefs in support of TikTok to the high court.
Instead, they argue that lawmakers would be better off passing a comprehensive digital privacy law that would protect Americans’ personal information by regulating the ability of all social media companies to collect and sell personal information.
David Greene, director of civil liberties at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-author Statement of Friends Companies around the world are now allowed to collect, store and sell Americans’ personal data, according to court documents filed late last month. This data can easily be stolen or purchased by foreign adversaries.
“Banning or mandating the sale of a social media app does virtually nothing to protect Americans’ data privacy from other countries,” Greene said in the EFF statement.
