The United States Supreme Court ruled on Friday against TikTok, effectively banning the social network in the country as of Sunday, January 19. The New York Times He reported that this decision was unanimous, 9-0.
The decision means the popular app’s U.S. operations must close this weekend to comply with a 2024 law signed by President Biden that forced the China-based network to stop operating in the United States.
The Court notes: “Congress has determined that (TikTok’s) divestiture is necessary to address its well-founded national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and its relationship with a foreign adversary.”
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Last year, the Court heard from a lawyer for TikTok who explained why the government should not be allowed to shut down the service. At the time, it seemed that most judges felt compelled to side with the government. A unanimous decision was unexpected.
PreviouslyNBC News reported that President Biden was exploring ways to keep TikTok online despite the ban, or at least delay the shutdown. Administration officials said that “Americans should not expect TikTok to be suddenly banned on Sunday. With the Supreme Court’s decision, the ball is firmly in Biden’s hands. The law allows the president to enact a 90-day extension of the ban period.
The Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act (PAFACA – 2024) gives the President of the United States the authority to ban apps that pose national security risks, specifically targeting TikTok. When this law was signed last spring, it received broad bipartisan support. However, since then, some have questioned the law and are exploring ways to delay or save TikTok in the US.
One possible solution to circumvent the ban would be for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the company to a US entity. So far no agreement has been reached to facilitate this.
If Biden were to prevent the ban from taking effect on Sunday, it would be up to President-elect Donald J. Trump, who will take office on Monday, to decide how to proceed. Trump has indicated his willingness to pause the ban to review all potential options.
Without an extension or sale, TikTok will be banned in the US. There are some potential ways around this, such as using a VPN to bypass TikTok banand several TikTok alternatives have already emerged, the most popular of which is red note.
