The U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Law Banning TikTok, Effective January 19

Sara Myers

4 weeks ago
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Photo by visuals

On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law that mandates the sale of TikTok, threatening the popular video-sharing app with a ban in the United States if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not divest its stake by January 19. This ruling aligns with the Biden administration’s national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data handling practices and its ties to China.

The court’s unsigned opinion acknowledged that “for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community.” But Congress has determined divestiture is necessary to address well-supported national security concerns related to TikTok’s operations.

The ruling follows a bipartisan legislative measure enacted by President Biden last April, which required TikTok to either separate from ByteDance or cease operations in the U.S. TikTok had challenged this legislation in court, arguing that it infringed upon the First Amendment rights of both the platform and its users. The Supreme Court deliberated on this matter on January 10 before issuing its decision.

Effective January 19, major tech firms like Apple and Google will be prohibited from offering TikTok on their app marketplaces. Additionally, web hosting services must sever ties with the application or face penalties of $5,000 for each user who can still access it, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in fines.

Despite the ruling, uncertainty remains about the immediate future of TikTok in the U.S. A White House official indicated that President Joe Biden may not enforce the ban, while President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to “save” TikTok. Trump argued in his brief to the Supreme Court that he could negotiate a deal to address national security concerns while keeping the app operational.

As the deadline approaches, TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20, raising questions about potential changes in enforcement or policy direction regarding the app.

Sources:
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/17/supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-ban-00198945
[2] https://www.npr.org/2025/01/17/nx-s1-5258396/supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-ban
[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/17/supreme-court-rules-to-uphold-tiktok-ban.html
[4] https://nou.edu.ng/coursewarecontent/JLS823-NEWS%20REPORTING-%20COMPLETE_docx.pdf
[5] https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC193
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBDgbESX-Ts
[7] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-write-quote-research-news-story-richard-berks
[8] https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-upholds-law-banning-tiktok-2025-01-17/
[9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/17/titktok-ban-supreme-court-decision-ruling/
[10] https://www.enca.com/news/us-supreme-court-upholds-law-banning-tiktok
[11] https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2025/01/17/is-tiktok-banned-supreme-court/77772614007/

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