TikTok appeals to Supreme Court to bock potential US ban

TikTok has filed an urgent appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, seeking to temporarily block a law that could force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or shut it down in the United States by January 19.

The appeal follows a lower court ruling that upheld the law, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which TikTok argues violates free speech rights.

“Congress has enacted a massive and unprecedented speech restriction,” TikTok stated in its filing. The company warned that enforcing the law would “shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” impacting over 170 million monthly U.S. users and silencing voices on politics, commerce, and the arts. TikTok also highlighted the financial and competitive harm that businesses relying on the platform would suffer.

TikTok’s request to pause the law coincided with a meeting between TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20. At a press conference Monday, Trump expressed sympathy for the app. “I have a warm spot for TikTok,” he said, adding that his administration would review the matter.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance divests its ownership. ByteDance and China deny allegations that TikTok allows Beijing to collect user data or spread propaganda, but U.S. officials maintain that the app poses a national security threat.

TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to make a decision by January 6 as it explores further legal challenges. The app’s fate is now intertwined with shifting U.S.-China relations and political dynamics.

Trump’s emerging support for TikTok is notable given his previous efforts to ban the app during his first term over similar security concerns. His stance has sparked speculation that the Republican leader sees TikTok as a counterweight to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, which has faced criticism from conservatives for allegedly suppressing right-wing voices.

A three-judge U.S. appeals court panel recently upheld the law, calling ByteDance’s divestiture “essential to protect our national security.” Still, TikTok’s appeal has set the stage for a significant legal battle over technology, free speech, and geopolitics.