World/Foreign News

TikTok asks US Supreme Court to block potential ban ahead of January deadline

TikTok has asked the US Supreme Court to step in and temporarily block a law that could force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or shut it down within the next month.

The law, which was signed by President Joe Biden in April, requires TikTok to be removed from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance agrees to divest from the app by January 19.

This legal request comes just as TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, met with President-elect Donald Trump. During a press conference on Monday, December 17, Trump shared that he has a “soft spot” for TikTok, saying his administration would carefully consider the app’s future and whether it should be banned.

TikTok is asking the Supreme Court to pause the law’s implementation while it appeals a decision from a lower court that upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. TikTok is hoping for a ruling by January 6, arguing that the law represents an unprecedented restriction on free speech.

The company claims that enforcing the law would silence many Americans who use the platform to discuss important topics, including politics and business, and would cause significant financial harm to small businesses that depend on TikTok for marketing and sales.

A potential ban on the app could also complicate US-China relations, especially as Trump prepares to take office on January 20. Despite concerns that a ban could benefit Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Trump has unexpectedly voiced support for TikTok in light of the situation.

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