Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban Unless Sold, Citing Security Concerns

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless sold by its China-based parent, ByteDance, citing national security risks. The law takes effect Jan. 19, barring new downloads and updates, though existing users can still access the app temporarily.

President-elect Donald Trump, a TikTok user, has criticized ByteDance’s failure to sell the app, diverging from some Senate Republicans. The Biden administration signaled it won’t enforce the ban. ByteDance claims U.S. allegations of data misuse lack evidence, while critics argue its ties to China make it a security threat.

The court acknowledged the law’s significant impact but upheld it as necessary to counter China’s potential access to U.S. user data. TikTok has denied being a tool of Beijing, while a possible sale remains uncertain due to Chinese regulations.