The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday to uphold a federal law banning TikTok unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the app by Sunday. The justices determined that the app’s ties to China pose significant national security risks, outweighing concerns about free speech for TikTok and its 170 million U.S. users.
A sale of TikTok does not appear imminent. While existing users will retain access to the app after the law takes effect on January 19, new downloads will be prohibited, and updates will cease to be available. The Justice Department noted in court filings that this will eventually render the app inoperable.
The decision marks a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to address security concerns tied to foreign-owned technology platforms.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
