US Supreme Court Upholds Law Banning TikTok From Jan 19, Trump Says 'Must Have Time To Review Situation’

Although TikTok will remain on the devices of existing users, new downloads and updates will be blocked once the law takes effect on January 19.

By : ABP News Bureau | Updated at : 17 Jan 2025 11:56 PM (IST)

US Supreme Court has upheld law banning TikTok starting January 19 unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company.
Source : Cottonbro Studio/Pexels

The US Supreme Court on Friday refused to rescue TikTok from a federal law which stated that the popular short-video app is required to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance or else be banned by Sunday.

The court unanimously ruled that the national security risks linked to the app's connections with China are greater than the concerns regarding restricting free speech for the 170 million app users in the US, Associated Press reported.

Although it is being said by experts that the app will remain on the devices of existing users, new downloads and updates will be blocked once the law takes effect on January 19. The Justice Department said the app will gradually become unusable over time.

The decision by the federal court comes as political tensions simmer between President-elect Donald Trump and the Biden administration over the app's issue. While Trump has vowed to negotiate a solution, Biden has indicated that it will not enforce the ban on TikTok starting Sunday, which is also his last full day in office.

Reacting to Supreme Court's decision, Donald Trump said in a post on Truth: "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"

Shortly before the decision was announced, Trump had said that the issue was among the topics he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

How White House Reacted

Meanwhile, White House issued a statement after the decision, saying that Biden's position on TikTok has been clear for months and that the app should remain available to Americans, but under American ownership.

"President Biden's position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President's desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law," the statement said.

"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday," it further noted.

Trump is at odds with Senate Republicans who criticise the app's Chinese parent company for being unable to secure a buyer in time. Unlike his stance during his first term in office when he wanted to ban TikTok, he now claims to have a "warm spot in my heart" for the app, saying that it helped him win over young voters in the 2024 election, Reuters reported.

In December, he had even asked the federal court to hold the law and given his administration an opportunity to "pursue a political resolution" of the issue in the case. Even though he promised to "save" TikTok, several Republican allies backed the ban. 

The justices ruled that the law did not violate the US Constitution's First Amendment protection against government abridgment of free speech as they overturned a lower court's decision that upheld the measure after TikTok and some app users challenged it.

"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary," the US court said.

Justice Department lawyer Elizabeth Prelogar stated during the arguments in the case that the Chinese government control of TikTok is a "grave threat" to the national security, claiming that China seeks to amass sensitive data on Americans and might engage in covert influence operations, Reuters reported.

Prelogar also said that China compels companies like ByteDance to turn over data on social media users and also undertake directives by Chinese government, the report added.  

Prelogar had said last week that it was uncertain whether the prospect of a sale, once the law is in effect, could get a 90-day respite for the app. The law allowed for a pause in restrictions on the app for 90 days in case a progress was made toward sale prior to the law taking effect.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch had some reservations about the decision, but backed the outcome. "Without doubt, the remedy Congress and the President chose here is dramatic," Gorsuch wrote, but added that he was persuaded by the argument that China could get access to "vast troves of personal information about tens of millions of Americans," AP reported.

US has expressed concerns claiming that TikTok collects extensive user data, including the viewing habits of users, could be potentially accessed by the Chinese government through coercion. The officials have also warned that the algorithm which manages what users view on the app could be vulnerable to manipulation, which can further be used to shape content on the platform, the report noted.

However, TikTok argues that the US has not provided any evidence to prove China has attempted to access the user data or manipulate content on its US platform.

A lawyer representing TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. said that it would be tough to finalise a deal since Chinese law restricts the sale of proprietary algorithm, which is the reason behind the platform's success.

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the US and is used by roughly half the country's population, especially the youth. It presents a massive collection of user-submitted videos, which are often under a minute and can be viewed on the internet on a smart phone.

Published at : 17 Jan 2025 11:03 PM (IST)
Tags :
Tik Tok Ban DOnald Trump TikTok Joe Biden China United STates

Follow Technology News on ABP Live for more latest stories and trending topics. Watch breaking news and top headlines online on ABP News LIVE TV
View More