The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday, Dec. 18, it will hear an appeal from TikTok challenging a U.S. law that could end up banning the social media app next month. The court’s announcement comes after an appeal by TikTok this week.
The Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 before deciding on the law’s fate. Currently, the app used by millions of people is set to be banned in the U.S. come Jan. 19, unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells the company.
Earlier this year, Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed, a law that requires the China-based company to divest the app over national security concerns.
In an emergency filing, TikTok’s lawyers argued the law violated the First Amendment by banning the company’s right to free speech.
A lower court upheld the law earlier in December, siding with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), over concerns about Chinese influence on the company.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, U.S. lawmakers recently sent a letter to Google and Apple that warns the tech giants to prepare to remove the platform from their app stores.
Some lawmakers say the social media app is a threat to the country’s security, noting laws in Beijing that require social media platforms to work with the Chinese government when asked.
The DOJ also warns the app could be used by China to spy on Americans and steal sensitive information. Other U.S. officials have voiced support for the app.
For instance, President-elect Donald Trump said following a meeting with TikTok’s CEO he has a “warm spot” in his heart for the platform, despite efforts during his first term to ban the app.
Trump said, “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points, and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that. So, I have a little bit of a warm spot in my heart, I’ll be honest.”
