Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban

Source: SOPA Images / Getty

On Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the app, teeing up a ban set to take effect Sunday.

The justices sided with the Biden administration, finding the “divest-or-ban law” does not violate the First Amendment. This comes just three days before President-elect Trump is set to take office.

Trump had urged the justices to delay the deadline so he could negotiate a deal, but the court instead acted with breakneck speed.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

It was announced earlier this week that the Biden administration does not plan to enforce the law ahead of the inauguration, ultimately leaving the decision to Trump and seemingly allowing the app to stay online for the time being.

“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court said. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”

The court was unanimous in its judgment, although Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch filed separate concurrences.

The law, which was passed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Biden last April, gave TikTok’s parent company ByteDance 270 days to divest from the app or face a ban from U.S. app stores. TikTok has argued divestment is not a feasible option and that it will “go dark” as of Sunday. It contended the impending ban infringes on the First Amendment rights of both the company and its 170 million American users.

However, the court rejected those arguments ruling in favor of the government. The Biden administration asserted that any free speech concerns are superseded by a national security interest over the app’s ties to China, raising alarm that the Chinese government could access Americans’ data or covertly manipulate TikTok’s content algorithm.

“Under these circumstances, we find the Government’s data collection justification sufficient to sustain the challenged provisions,” the court’s opinion reads.

Click here to read the full opinion of the court.

Get Breaking News & Exclusive Content in Your Inbox:

Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban was originally published on rone92q.staging.go.ione.nyc

%%title%%