US Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban Amid Controversy

The US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law enforcing a nationwide ban on the video-sharing platform TikTok, set to take effect tomorrow unless the app’s Chinese-owned parent company sells it to a US-based owner.
The unanimous ruling, issued yesterday, supports Congress and the Justice Department’s assertion that TikTok, owned by ByteDance, poses a national security threat. In court, US lawmakers argued that the app could be used by the Chinese Communist Party for propaganda and user manipulation. The court concurred, citing TikTok’s connections to Beijing as adequate grounds for the ban.
Last year, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill mandating that TikTok either spin off from ByteDance or cease operations in the US. However, TikTok has resisted divestment, arguing that such a move is both commercially and legally impractical.
Effective tomorrow, TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, will no longer be available for download in US app stores. The decision has ignited backlash from creators, free speech advocates, and civil liberties organizations, who view the ban as censorship and a dangerous precedent.
The United States now joins India in implementing a nationwide ban on TikTok. Several other nations, including the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and the Netherlands, have restricted the app’s use on government devices due to concerns over potential espionage by Beijing.
Also read : Appeals Court Orders TikTok Sale or Shutdown by January 19
President-elect Donald Trump, who filed an amicus brief urging the court to delay the ban, had proposed negotiating a resolution between TikTok and US lawmakers last month. Once inaugurated on January 20, Trump could direct the Justice Department to pause enforcement or issue an executive order delaying the ban for up to 90 days.