The fate of TikTok, the widely used short-video app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, will be decided by the Supreme Court in a case involving free speech rights and national security concerns. TikTok and ByteDance, along with users who post content on the app, are challenging a law that requires the sale of the platform by Jan. 19 or face a ban in the United States. The law, passed with bipartisan support and signed by outgoing President Joe Biden, is being defended by his administration. The Supreme Court’s review of the case comes amid trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The Justice Department argues that TikTok poses a national security threat due to data collection and potential manipulation by China. TikTok and its supporters claim the law violates the First Amendment and threatens free speech rights. Trump opposes the ban, while the Justice Department maintains that it targets foreign control of the app, not speech. The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, will consider the competing concerns in this high-stakes case.
Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham.
