Supreme Court to decide on TikTok ban implementation

The fate of a law that would likely ban social media platform TikTok in the United States is going before the Supreme Court, with oral arguments scheduled for Friday. The law, requiring TikTok’s China-based owner ByteDance to divest itself of the company by Jan. 19, has sparked legal challenges from TikTok, some users, and the Biden administration. The court will consider arguments regarding free speech rights under the First Amendment versus national security concerns about Chinese government influence over the platform. The case has political complexities, with bipartisan support for the ban but mixed signals from former President Trump, who once threatened a ban but later expressed support. Trump has requested the Supreme Court to temporarily block the law to pursue a political resolution. The law allows for a one-time 90-day extension for divestiture efforts, but no sale appears imminent. While the appeals court upheld the law citing national security justifications, TikTok’s legal team argues that Congress should protect national security without suppressing American speech. Supporters of TikTok include a mix of public interest groups fighting on free speech grounds. The Solicitor General defends the law based on national security threats posed by Chinese control of TikTok, arguing that the law does not implicate the First Amendment. The federal government has the support of several states and former national security officials. TikTok, launched in the U.S. in 2018, has grown in popularity with 170 million American users enjoying its algorithm-driven short-form video content platform.

Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com