The US Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company to divest from the app or face a ban that is set to take effect this Sunday.
The US Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company to divest from the app or face a ban that is set to take effect this Sunday.
The US Supreme Court ruled against TikTok in its challenge to a federal law that requires the popular video app to be sold by the Chinese company that owns the platform used by 170 million people in the US.
The ruling means that TikTok could be shut down under federal law, formally called the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” as soon as Sunday.
If the ban goes through and takes effect this Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores like the ones operated by Google and Apple to distribute TikTok to its users.
According to the legislation that was signed into law last April by Joe Biden after it was passed by Congress, TikTok will be pulled from those stores.
While existing downloads are likely going to be unaffected initially, no new downloads will be available to users.
TikTok has sought to fight the ban and has argued that divestment was not a feasible option. It has said it “go dark” as of Sunday.
The justices unanimously ruled that the federal law did not violate the free speech laws under the Constitution’s First Amendment.
The court concluded the reason for enacting the law was “decidedly content agnostic” and had nothing to do with restricting free speech.
“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 court said in the unsigned opinion.”
