Supreme Court supports law requiring TikTok to be sold or banned

The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a law that effectively bans the very popular application TikTok in the United States from Sunday. The ruling ended, at least for now, a legal battle involving national security, free speech and a cultural phenomenon that has caused millions of Americans to swipe at their phone screens in delirium at everything moment.

The decision, which forces the app to disappear if it remains under Chinese control, could deal a death blow to TikTok’s U.S. operations. President-elect Donald J. Trump, who is due to be inaugurated the next day, has pledged to “save” the app, although the mechanisms for doing so remain unclear.

In ruling against TikTok, the court recognized the app’s broad cultural impact while siding with the government’s concerns that China’s role posed national security concerns.

“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok provides a distinctive and expansive means of expression, a means of engagement, and a source of community,” the court opinion said. “But Congress has determined that divestment is necessary to address its well-founded national security concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices and its dealings with a foreign adversary.”

TikTok gained a foothold in American culture in 2020 as a pandemic curiosity and quickly became an undeniable juggernaut. It offers short-form videos that are a major source of information and entertainment for tens of millions of Americans, especially younger people.

Not only has the app given birth to a new generation of celebrities and fueled chart-topping books, music and films, but it has also helped shape the debate around the war between Israel and Hamas and last year’s US presidential election.