Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban in US

Logo of TikTok

The Supreme Court upheld on Jan. 17 a federal law a federal law obligating China's ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok's US operations by Sunday, Jan. 19 or face a ban of the popular social video app in the US.

The Supreme Court sided with the White House Administration and endorsed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024. Under the law, internet service providers such as Apple and Google will be penalized if they continue supporting the app after January 19.

Compliance by app store operators means removing TikTok from their platforms, preventing users from downloading the app or installing regular updates necessary for improving its functionality.

The fate of TikTok's US unit now rests with President-elect Donald Trump, who in December petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the law’s enforcement and allow his administration an opportunity to pursue a political resolution to the issues at hand.

Trump Inauguration will be on Jan. 20, one day after the law’s deadline for ByteDance to make a decision regarding its US operations. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the presidential swearing-in ceremony.