TikTok Appeals to Supreme Court to Block US Ban
Platform Seeks Temporary Hold on Law Requiring Divestment from ByteDance
TikTok has filed an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court, seeking to block a law that would force its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face removal from US app stores and web hosting services by January 19.
The appeal challenges the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April. The law requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face significant operational restrictions in the United States.
In its filing, TikTok argued that the law represents an unprecedented speech restriction that would “shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms” just before a presidential inauguration. The company contends the legislation would severely impact users’ ability to communicate about politics, commerce, and the arts.
TikTok noted the potential harm to small businesses that rely on the platform, citing substantial and unrecoverable monetary and competitive damages.
The appeal comes amid an unexpected development involving former President Donald Trump, who met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and expressed a “warm spot” for the app. This stance marks a significant shift from Trump’s previous attempts to ban TikTok during his first term.
The US government maintains that TikTok poses a national security risk, alleging the platform allows Beijing to collect data and spread propaganda. ByteDance and China have consistently denied these claims.
A three-judge US appeals court panel previously unanimously upheld the law’s premise that TikTok’s divestment from Chinese ownership is necessary to protect national security.
TikTok has requested the Supreme Court make a decision by January 6, with the current law set to take effect on January 19.
