Information
The Supreme Court is considering whether to overturn or delay a TikTok ban set to take effect on January 19, 2025. Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in April 2024, requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the app or face a U.S. ban due to national security concerns. Government officials allege that TikTok could be exploited by China for espionage or disinformation. TikTok’s lawyers and creators argue the ban violates the First Amendment by suppressing speech and harming the platform’s 170 million U.S. users. The Supreme Court is moving quickly to address the case, with arguments focused on whether the law unconstitutionally limits speech or is justified by national security risks. ByteDance has resisted divestment, complicating the app’s ability to comply with the law.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, opposes the ban and seeks a delay to resolve the dispute politically. If enacted, the ban will not immediately render TikTok inaccessible but will prevent updates and new downloads, causing eventual degradation. Users may attempt to access the app via VPNs, though this carries risks. Alternatives like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are expected to gain popularity, but the ban could have severe financial impacts on TikTok creators and small businesses. The odds of the ban coming into effect before May on PolyMarket have recently shot up, peaking at 79% likelihood.
Source: CBS, CNN, NBC, PolyMarket
So what
While it is possible that TikTok could be banned as planned by the Supreme Court, there is also a possibility that it may be sold to a non-Chinese company to avoid such a ban. Several high-profile individuals and companies have made offers to purchase the platform. However, so far, it seems that China is unwilling to sell. This reluctance only heightens suspicions regarding the platform’s potentially nefarious intentions.
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