Under bipartisan legislation signed by President Joe Biden, TikTok could face a ban in the United States starting January 19, 2025, unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests the platform to a non-Chinese entity.
TikTok has argued that this potential ban infringes upon First Amendment rights, asserting that the law constitutes a 'speech ban' that jeopardizes the communication of its users, which includes discussions on politics, commerce, and arts.
On December 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., denied TikTok's request to pause the law's implementation, leading the company to appeal to the Supreme Court for a decision by January 6, 2025, just prior to the anticipated ban.
The ban is scheduled to take effect the day before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed a willingness to negotiate on the platform's future, citing its role in appealing to younger voters during his campaign.