US top court upholds law banning TikTok if it's not sold by its Chinese parent company

The US Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the ban on TikTok, set to take effect Sunday unless the app is sold by its China-based parent company.

The court ruled that the national security risks linked to TikTok's connections with China outweigh concerns about restricting free speech for the app's 170 million US users.

The White House reacted to the decision saying, "The Administration, like the rest of the country, has awaited the decision just made by the US Supreme Court on the TikTok matter. President Biden's position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President's desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law. Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday."

Donald Trump welcomed the decision and said, "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"


The decision comes amid political tensions involving President-elect Donald Trump and the Biden administration. Trump has pledged to negotiate a solution, while Biden administration has indicated it will not enforce the TikTok ban starting Sunday, Biden's final full day in office.

Trump, aware of TikTok's massive popularity and his own 14.7 million followers on the platform, is at odds with prominent Senate Republicans who criticize TikTok's Chinese parent company for failing to secure a buyer in time.

Meanwhile, a sale of TikTok does not seem likely in the near future. While experts note that the app will remain on existing users' devices after the law takes effect on January 19, new downloads and updates will be blocked. According to the Justice Department, this will gradually make the app unusable over time.

The US government has raised concerns that TikTok collects extensive user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, which could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government through coercion. Officials also warn that TikTok's algorithm could be manipulated by Chinese authorities to subtly influence content on the platform.

In response, TikTok argues that the US has not provided any evidence showing that China has attempted to access American user data or manipulate content on its US platform.