In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has upheld a law that forces TikTok to be sold or shut down in the US by January 19th. The court rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law violates their First Amendment rights, concluding that the government’s national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China outweigh the platform’s free speech protections.
The court acknowledged the importance of TikTok as an “expansive outlet for expression” for millions of Americans, but ultimately sided with the government’s position that the app’s data collection practices and susceptibility to foreign influence require “differential treatment” to address national security risks.
The decision now puts the future of TikTok in the hands of the incoming Trump administration. During his campaign, President-elect Trump vowed to “save TikTok” and has even invited the TikTok CEO to his inauguration. However, the outgoing Biden administration has signaled it does not plan to enforce the ban, leaving the final call up to Trump.
Adding to the uncertainty, tech giants like Apple and Google may choose to remove TikTok from their app stores on their own, regardless of any executive action, as they would be liable for the app’s continued availability under the existing law.
The high-stakes drama has left the music industry and countless creators who rely on TikTok’s powerful promotional platform bracing for potential fallout
