WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law banning TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns tied to the platform’s parent company, ByteDance.
The decision comes just days before the ban is set to take effect on Sunday.
“There is no doubt that TikTok offers a unique outlet for expression and community to millions,” the ruling stated. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and ties to a foreign adversary.”
The unanimous decision affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the law does not violate the First Amendment.
TikTok, which has over 170 million U.S. users, challenged the law, arguing it infringed on free-expression rights. However, lower courts found the government’s concerns over potential data collection and content manipulation to be valid.
The Biden administration has indicated it may not immediately enforce the ban, leaving its implementation to the incoming Trump administration, which has expressed support for reversing the decision if TikTok severs ties with ByteDance.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: