US Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok

The US Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the app.

The ruling cited national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China, outweighing free speech arguments raised by the app and its 170 million US users.

Read more: RedNote: Chinese app surges amid TikTok ban threat

A sale does not appear imminent. While existing users will still have access to the app, new downloads and updates will be blocked once the law takes effect on Jan. 19, eventually making the platform unusable, according to Justice Department filings.

The decision comes amid political uncertainty. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he could negotiate a resolution, while the Biden administration has indicated it will not enforce the ban starting Sunday, Biden’s final full day in office.

It remains unclear what steps Trump can take once sworn in on Monday. The law allows a 90-day pause on restrictions if progress is made toward a sale before the ban is enforced.