The United States Supreme Court has upheld a law requiring TikTok to be banned nationwide unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership of the platform by this Sunday.
TikTok had contested the legislation, arguing it would infringe on the free speech rights of its over 170 million U.S. users.
However, the nation’s highest court dismissed this challenge, leaving TikTok with a choice: sell the U.S. version of the app to an approved buyer or risk removal from app stores and web hosting services.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Biden administration and incoming President Donald Trump are reportedly exploring a potential reprieve for the platform, which U.S. officials have labeled a national security threat.
The bipartisan law, passed last year, reflects concerns from both Democrats and Republicans about TikTok’s alleged ties to the Chinese government. ByteDance has consistently denied sharing user data with Beijing.
The legislation imposes a January 19 deadline for TikTok’s U.S. version to be sold to a neutral party, failing which Apple and Google will cease offering the app to new users and stop providing security updates, a move that could ultimately cripple the platform.
Despite the looming threat, ByteDance has stated it will not sell TikTok.
