U.S. Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a nationwide ban on TikTok unless the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership to a U.S.-based entity. The ruling, announced on Friday, aligns with congressional and Department of Justice concerns over TikTok’s potential threat to U.S. national security.

The U.S. Department of Justice welcomed the court’s decision.

Lawmakers who pushed for the ban argue that TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance poses significant risks. They claim the Chinese Communist Party could exploit the app to manipulate Americans and spread propaganda.

TikTok has resisted divestiture, stating in legal filings that selling to a non-Chinese company is “not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible.” The app’s potential removal has drawn backlash from creators, civil liberties groups, and First Amendment advocates, who argue the decision amounts to censorship and sets a troubling precedent.

This means TikTok, which is used by 170 million people in the US, will no longer be available for download in app stores starting on Sunday 19 January.