The Supreme Court convened at 10 a.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, to hear arguments regarding a law that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
According to NBC News., lawyers for TikTok, some of its users, and the Biden administration are presenting their oral arguments before the conservative-majority court’s nine justices. A preliminary decision may be reached within days, if not hours, after the oral arguments conclude.
Chinese Internet entrepreneur Zhang Yiming co-founded TikTok in 2012 as part of technology company ByteDance, per its website. The social media platform’s algorithm provides users with short-form video content tailored to their interests.
NBC reported that Yiming launched TikTok in the U.S. in 2018. It has since become increasingly popular, boasting 170 million American users.
Following concerns that the app was a national security threat, the U.S. government, with broad bipartisan support, passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest from the company by Jan. 19, 2025.
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The deadline falls one day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office for a second term, and failure to comply could result in the app’s ban.
In an unusual brief submitted to the Supreme Court, Trump requested that the justices temporarily block the law so he could “pursue a political resolution” to the dispute once he takes office, NBC reported.
The law includes a provision that permits the president to grant a one-time 90-day extension if he determines a reasonable path to divestiture and that “significant progress” has been made toward achieving it. However, there are no public indications that such a sale will occur.
Concerns about TikTok’s security include the risk that the Chinese government could influence American users by accessing their data and manipulating content.
In addition, eight individual users and Based Politics Inc., a conservative group that utilizes TikTok, have all filed separate challenges, claiming that the law to ban the popular app infringes on their First Amendment rights to free speech under the Constitution.
“The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” TikTok previously said in a statement to ABC News, AFROTECH™ reported. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed, and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people.”
The statement added, “The TikTok ban, unless stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the U.S. and around the world on Jan. 19, 2025.”
Despite acknowledging that the law implicates the First Amendment and requires further review, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld it after finding that the government’s security justifications are legitimate, per NBC.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, 2025, TikTok said it would shut down by Jan. 19, 2025, if the Supreme Court does not intervene.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, a potential TikTok ban could lead to an estimated loss of $1.3 billion in earnings for small businesses and social media creators within just one month.
Several entrepreneurs, including Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank,” have launched a bid to purchase the social media platform.
“Joining The People’s Bid for TikTok is an opportunity to take action on an issue I’m deeply passionate about – protecting privacy and creating value for users,” O’Leary said on January 6, according to a news release. “TikTok has immense potential—not just as a tool for creators and businesses, but as a cornerstone of a more secure, people-centered digital future.”
O’Leary said he and business professional Frank McCourt share a goal of developing an American-owned platform that ensures national security and enables its 170 million U.S. users to thrive.
“With the January 19 deadline quickly approaching, I’m confident that our shared vision, paired with President-elect Trump’s business acumen, will lead to a deal that benefits everyone,” he added.
