The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that will prohibit TikTok in the United States, potentially affecting 170 million users in just two days.
In a significant setback for TikTok, the court determined that the law does not infringe upon free speech rights and that the US government had valid national security concerns regarding the app’s ownership by a Chinese company.
Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments from ByteDance, which argued that the law should be halted due to its infringement on free speech.
“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 justices 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,” they concluded.
With this ruling, the ban set for Sunday is maintained, even though lawmakers and officials from both parties have called for some postponement.
Last year, Congress passed a law mandating that ByteDance divest the platform or cease operations in the United States by January 19. The legislation responded to the prevailing belief in Washington that China might exploit the widely-used app for espionage or propaganda purposes.
On Friday, White House officials informed US media that they would not implement the ban and would leave the decision to President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office the following day.
Trump said he discussed TikTok during a phone call on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
