Just in and official. The Supreme Court has upheld the law that will effectively ban TikTok on Sunday, January 19. This is set to happen a day before Trump takes office. The decision marks the end of TikTok’s months-long legal fight against a law that essentially forces the ByteDance-owned app to shut down unless it divests its U.S. operations. According to reports , as of Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores and internet hosting services to distribute the social network. TikTok has warned that the app will simply “go dark” on Sunday. However, it remains unclear what exactly will happen once the ban takes effect. Will TikTok shut itself off entirely in the United States? That’s not what users or experts had expected, but one report indicated it may do just that. Will the outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration provide direction? That does not sound likely. Will incoming President Trump intervene? If the list of expected attendees at his inauguration is any indication, it’s likely he’ll try. TikTok’s stay in the US comes to an end According to the Supreme Court ruling , “As of January 19, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act will make it unlawful for companies in the United States to provide services to distribute, maintain, or update the social media platform TikTok unless U. S. operation of the platform is severed from Chinese control.” The ruling adds that “We consider whether the Act, as applied to petitioners, violates the First Amendment.” Last April, President Biden signed a bipartisan bill that said TikTok must spin-off from its China-based parent company or shut down in the U.S. The ban means 170 million Americans could lose access to a platform they use to find entertainment, news, community, and even run a business. Justices said the government’s decision to single out TikTok was justified. They note the law’s focus on “a foreign adversary’s ability to leverage its control over the platform to collect vast amounts of personal data from 170 million U.S. users.” They argued that purpose “neither references the content of speech on TikTok nor reflects disagreement with the message such speech conveys.” From Zero to Web3 Pro: Your 90-Day Career Launch Plan
