
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a federal law banning TikTok starting Sunday, unless the app is sold by its China-based parent company, ByteDance, citing national security concerns.
While the app will remain functional for existing users, new users will be unable to download TikTok, and updates will no longer be available, eventually rendering the app unusable.
The decision comes amid political tensions, with President-elect Donald Trump suggesting he could negotiate a solution, while the Biden administration has signaled it won’t enforce the law on the final day of his presidency.
The law, supported by Congress, was passed over concerns that TikTok’s data collection and its ties to China posed a threat to U.S. national security, despite TikTok’s denials.
The Supreme Court’s ruling was met with criticism from digital rights groups, arguing it harms free expression and impacts millions of users, including small business owners like Desiree Hill, who rely on TikTok for customer engagement.
The ruling also intensifies the geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China, with concerns over TikTok’s algorithm and data potentially being manipulated by Chinese authorities.