U.S. Supreme Court to Hear TikTok's Ban Challenge

What Happened?

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear appeal arguments by TikTok that challenges a federal law to ban the popular video-sharing app by next month.

According to reports, the court will hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 before deciding whether the ban should be upheld or reversed.

The decision by the court comes just two days after TikTok and parent company ByteDance's filing on Monday.

ByteDance and TikTok allege that the banning of its platform 'will shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration.'

If upheld, the bipartisan measure signed into law by President Joe Biden would take effect on Jan. 19, just one day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

The immediate decision to take up the case reportedly suggests that the court has not yet heard legal arguments in support of the ban from the Department of Justice.

However, reports say the court may have still given itself enough time, despite the fast turnaround.

The court will hear the appealing argument before the law is due to take effect and before Trump enters office.

Why it Matters

One of the main issues at hand is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

The measure 'prohibits distributing, maintaining, or providing internet hosting services for a foreign adversary-controlled application.'

This signaled TikTok as an example of concern about the possibility of the Chinese government spying on Americans through the app.

As a result, ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, would have to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban in the U.S.

Lawmakers have informed Google and Apple to prepare to remove the platform from their app stores on Jan. 19 after initially failing in their bid to delay the nationwide ban as previously reported.

But TikTok challenges the law, stating it violates its free speech rights under the First Amendment.

Trump, who once viewed TikTok as posing a national security risk, has recently changed his tune on the app being banned nationwide.

On Monday Trump told reporters he had a 'warm spot' for the app after being asked about the pending ban and meeting with the company's CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

He also credited the app for helping him win over a population of young voters during the 2024 Presidential Election.

How it Affects You

Roughly 170 million Americans utilize TikTok and is home to over one million content creators who earn a living through the app.

But ByteDance has remained firm on not selling to a U.S. buyer to meet the compliance established by U.S. lawmakers.

The Supreme Court will have to weigh closely on the Justice Department's legal argument when determining the matters of national security.