The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review TikTok’s appeal regarding a law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform in order to continue operating in the country.
The highest U.S. court processed the lawsuit on January 10. The law did not get delayed until January 19, as the company hoped.
The legislation, approved by President Joe Biden in April, would prevent TikTok from being available in American app stores unless ByteDance meets the conditions of the sale by January 19.
Congress approved the law with the aim of preventing potential spying and manipulation of users by Chinese authorities.
“Be quiet” –
TikTok refutes claims of sharing data with Beijing and argues that the law infringes on its freedom of speech rights under the First Amendment.
TikTok stated in a document sent to the Court that Congress has approved a significant and unparalleled limitation on freedom of speech, despite having over 170 million users in the United States.
“If the legislation is implemented, TikTok stated that it will impact one of the most widely used American social media platforms just a day before the presidential inauguration.”
“This would quiet the voices of many Americans who utilize the platform for discussing politics, business, art, and other topics,” he stated.
The company, along with many small businesses relying on the platform, would experience significant and permanent financial and competitive harm.
The possible prohibition could strain the relationship between the US and China just before Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trump announced during a press conference that he had the funds for the social media platform and that his administration would look into it.
The Republican unexpectedly sided with TikTok, as he thinks that banning it would primarily advantage major companies like The Goal (which owns Facebook and Instagram, among other platforms), led by Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump’s position mirrors broader conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly censoring right-wing content.
Trump’s present perspective contrasts with his initial term when he attempted to ban TikTok due to security concerns.
TikTok compensates AFP and other data verification agencies to verify videos in multiple countries that may have inaccurate information.