The Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments concerning the constitutionality of a federal law that may lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell it.
The big picture: The law, passed in April and with a deadline of Jan. 19 for TikTok to be sold, has raised concerns over potential First Amendment violations by restricting speech.
- Notably, the law’s impact on TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users and content creators who rely on the platform for income has prompted urgency for legal intervention before the deadline.
- The outgoing Biden administration’s Justice Department will defend the law in court, despite potential shifts in perspective from the incoming Republican administration.
Why it matters: The case presents a clash between free speech rights and national security concerns, with the law aiming to protect the latter while threatening TikTok’s user base and advertising revenue.
Driving the news: A recent ruling by judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the law but denied an emergency plea to delay its implementation, setting the stage for potential enforcement starting on Jan. 19.
- Potential implications of the law include exposing app stores and internet hosting services that support TikTok to fines, with the Justice Department standing ready to enforce its provisions.
