US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban despite security concerns

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States, potentially cutting off the app from 170 million users in just two days.

In a significant setback for TikTok, the court ruled the ban does not violate free speech and validated the government’s national security concerns over the Chinese-owned app.

Congress passed the law last year, requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the platform or cease US operations by January 19. Officials fear the app could be exploited by China for spying or propaganda.

While White House officials indicated they would leave enforcement of the ban to President-elect Donald Trump, incoming officials suggested they may seek ways to delay or amend the law to protect TikTok’s operations.

TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco warned the app could “go dark” on Sunday if no action is taken, while CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.