U.S. Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban over national security concerns
TikTok is on the brink of shutting down operations in the United States after the Supreme Court upheld a law banning the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership.
The court's unanimous 9-0 decision on Friday has thrown TikTok's future into doubt, leaving its 170 million American users in a state of uncertainty. With the ban set to take effect on Sunday, users are now bracing for the possibility of losing access to one of the most popular social media platforms in the country, reports Investing.com.
TikTok issued a stark warning late Friday, stating it will be forced to "go dark" unless the Biden administration provides assurances to service providers like Apple and Google, ensuring they won’t face enforcement actions.
The law, passed with bipartisan support in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, cites national security concerns over TikTok's Chinese ownership. Despite this, an increasing number of lawmakers who supported the legislation are now urging efforts to keep the app accessible to U.S. users.
Legal and Political Implications
The Biden administration has so far declined to comment on TikTok’s request for clarity. Service providers, including Apple, Alphabet's Google, and Oracle, could face severe penalties if they continue offering services to TikTok after the ban.
TikTok and ByteDance had previously challenged the law, arguing that it violated the First Amendment, but the Supreme Court ruled otherwise, reinforcing the government’s stance on the issue. ByteDance has yet to take significant steps to divest TikTok before Sunday’s deadline, leaving the app’s future hanging by a thread.
Trump’s Promised Intervention
Adding another layer of political drama, Donald Trump, who will return to the presidency on Monday, vows to "rescue TikTok." In a social media post, Trump states: "My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!" This raises hopes for a potential reprieve, even if temporary, as ByteDance navigates the impending shutdown.
With the ban just days away, TikTok’s fate depends on immediate actions by both the Biden administration and ByteDance. Meanwhile, Trump’s promised intervention adds an element of unpredictability to the unfolding situation.
Recently we wrote, that Austrian privacy advocacy group Noyb has filed a complaint targeting several prominent Chinese companies, accusing them of unlawfully transferring European Union (EU) user data to China.
