The United States Supreme Court has upheld a federal ban on TikTok, effectively forcing the social media platform to cease operations in the country.
The decision, delivered on Friday, stems from concerns over national security risks tied to TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, a China-based entity.
The court’s ruling follows the passage of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act by Congress last year. The law mandates ByteDance to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company or cease its US operations entirely.
TikTok has consistently denied allegations of data manipulation and unauthorized access by the Chinese government, maintaining its stance that the platform operates independently. The company has also argued that the ban infringes upon the First Amendment rights of its 170 million American users, who rely on the app for expression, community engagement, and entertainment.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court acknowledged TikTok’s cultural and social significance but ultimately sided with Congress’s assessment of the national security risks.
“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,” the justices stated. “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 ban, set to take effect on January 19, will compel Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. Additionally, web-hosting providers will be prohibited from supporting TikTok’s services within the United States.
