Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban Amid National Security Concerns

Washington: So, the Supreme Court just made a big call on TikTok. They decided not to help the app fight a law that says it has to either sell off its US operations or shut down. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has until January 19 to make a move or it could be lights out for the app in the US.

Now, this decision means TikTok might go dark soon. App stores and partners are likely to cut ties to follow the law. There’s even talk that TikTok could voluntarily shut down before that deadline. They haven’t said much about their plans, though.

Interestingly, TikTok sent a memo to its US employees, assuring them their jobs are safe, even if the app gets banned. Legal experts kind of saw this coming. They thought the court would side with Congress on national security issues.

Before the ruling, a former federal prosecutor mentioned that the justices were really focused on those security concerns. TikTok’s legal troubles started when it lost a challenge to this law in December. The law was part of a bigger effort to limit foreign influence on social media.

With the situation looking tough, TikTok might be hoping for a lifeline from President-elect Donald Trump. He’s said he wants to try and save the app once he takes office. Just recently, he filed a brief asking the court to delay TikTok’s divestment deadline so he could work on a solution. He’s got a soft spot for TikTok and wants to handle this politically.