SCOTUS Justices Appear Likely To Uphold TikTok Ban

January 10, 2025 China, Social Media

Justices on the Supreme Court signaled Friday they may uphold the federal law banning TikTok unless it divests itself from ByteDance, expressing skepticism of TikTok’s opposition to the law during oral arguments, increasing the likelihood the popular video app could be banned Jan. 19 unless TikTok starts separating from its Chinese-owned parent company.

TikTok and content creators on the app argued the ban violates their First Amendment rights by cutting off all speech on the platform, while the federal government argued the ban is necessary for national security, given ByteDance’s Chinese ownership.

Justices on both sides of the aisle appeared skeptical of TikTok’s arguments on Friday, with Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett questioning how TikTok’s First Amendment rights are implicated when the law is specifically targeting ByteDance—a foreign-owned company—and its algorithm.

Read the full article.

New: The Supreme Court signaled it is likely to uphold a TikTok ban in the US. Follow our live coverage.

[image or embed]

— Bloomberg (@bloomberg.com) January 10, 2025 at 12:45 PM