Why is TikTok getting banned? What to know about Supreme Court case
One of the most popular social media apps in the country could shut down next week.
And TikTok says it’s ready to pull the plug if the Supreme Court doesn’t issue a favorable ruling after Friday’s hearing.
Here’s what to know, including why the app is on the edge of closure and what’s at stake:
Why is TikTok getting banned?
Last year, Congress passed a law that forces TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operation, or face a nationwide ban. They say ByteDance’s ties to China is a national security risk if user data is shared with the Chinese government.
Over the past several months, congressional hearings and intervention attempts have failed to resolve the concerns surrounding TikTok’s ownership and potential security risks.
The U.S. Supreme Court is on Friday heard legal challenges to the law by ByteDance, which argues the ban violates free speech rights. The Court has not yet issued a ruling.
ByteDance has said it will start the process of shutting down TikTok’s U.S. operations by Jan. 19 if the Supreme Court doesn’t delay or overturn the ban.
President-elect Donald Trump, who previously called for TikTok’s ban, has now asked the Court to delay the ban until his administration can try to reach a resolution. Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
What happens to TikTok?
If the ban happens, TikTok will be removed from app stores to stop any new downloads or updates. The app’s 170 million American users would lose access as ByteDance shuts down its support systems.
TikTok could still be saved if ByteDance agrees to sell the app’s U.S. operations. There are reportedly several interested buyers, but no deal has been reached.
ByteDance operates more apps in the U.S., including Lemon8 and CapCut.
Those apps aren’t immediately impacted by the Jan. 19 deadline, but are under the same scrutiny driving the TikTok ban and could eventually be forced to shut down, too.