Is TikTok over in the US? Supreme Court says ByteDance must divest

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TikTok's days in the United States may be numbered after the Supreme Court rejected the app's challenge to stripping or banning laws. TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance now faces a strict January 19 deadline to sell its U.S. operations or risk shutting down entirely. The decision was in line with the expectations of many legal experts and upheld the Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act. The law was passed in April 2023 to address national security concerns surrounding foreign-owned apps, with TikTok remaining a primary target. On Friday, a judge ruled that the law did not violate the First Amendment rights of TikTok or its creators and underscored the government's power to address potential security risks. If ByteDance does not divest itself before January 19, the consequences for TikTok in the United States could be devastating. The app may disappear from the app store and its business partnerships in the country will be dissolved to comply with the law. TikTok’s millions of U.S. users, influencers and content creators may be scrambling to figure out their next move. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his willingness to “save” TikTok after taking office on Monday, January 20. His stance has softened in recent months amid a crackdown on TikTok. At a press conference in December, he said, “I have a warm place in my heart for TikTok.” It remains unclear whether Trump can or will take action to keep the app alive. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, who signed the “defund or ban” law, has made it clear that the rest of the situation will be handled by the Trump administration. As January 19 approaches, the future of TikTok remains up in the air. Unless ByteDance finds a buyer for TikTok's U.S. operations, or Trump comes to the rescue at the last minute, the app may be forced to “shut down” to millions of U.S. users. Like this: Like Loading… Discover more from Baller Alert Subscribe to get the latest posts delivered to your email.

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