Supreme Court set to uphold TikTok ban over China links

Both Trump and Biden showed concern about the Chinese government influence on the app

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The US Supreme Court on Friday examined the controversial sell-or-ban law targeting TikTok over its ties to China. Justices raised sharp questions during oral arguments, reflecting skepticism towards the social media app's challenge against the law.

The legislation, passed in April, demands TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest its ownership to prevent a nationwide ban scheduled for January 19. The court’s decision on whether to temporarily block the law could arrive imminently, well before resolving broader free speech implications.

Concerns about TikTok’s data handling and potential Chinese government influence have been raised by both former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. TikTok, however, argued these fears are unfounded and highlighted the platform's everyday content, from cat videos to recipes, as evidence of its impartiality.

While the court’s debate largely revolved around foreign control and national security, First Amendment implications remained in focus for the app’s defenders, including content creators who fear losing access to millions of followers.