The US Supreme Court ruled against requiring the popular video app to be sold by the Chinese company that owns the platform used by 170 million people in the US.
The ruling means that , formally called the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” as soon as Sunday.
What happens next?
If the ban goes through and takes effect this Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores like the ones operated by Google and Apple to distribute TikTok to their users.
According to the legislation that was signed into law last April by President Joe Biden after it was passed by Congress, TikTok will be pulled from those stores.
While existing downloads will likely be unaffected initially, no new downloads will be available to users.
TikTok has sought to fight the ban and was not a feasible option.
What did TikTok say?
TikTok said it would “go dark” in the United States on Sunday unless the government intervenes and assures that service providers won’t be held liable for breaking a law banning the video-sharing platform.
“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” TikTok said in a statement.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said after the Supreme Court decision.
What did the court say?
The justices unanimously ruled that the federal law did not violate the free speech laws under the Constitution’s First Amendment.
The court concluded the reason for enacting the law was “decidedly content agnostic” and had nothing to do with restricting free speech.
“Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary,” the court said in the unsigned opinion.”
Trump administration in charge of fate of TikTok
The White House said in a statement following the Supreme Court judgment that “TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law.”
“Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday.”
to allow TikTok to continue operating in the US, US media outlets have reported.
But it’s unclear whether an executive order could halt the ban given that the order could be challenged in court.
rm/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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