The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on Friday, effectively banning the social network in the country starting Sunday, January 19. The New York Times reported that this decision was unanimous, 9-0.
The decision means that U.S. operations for the popular app must shut down this weekend to comply with a 2024 law that President Biden signed that forced the Chinese-based network from operating in the States.
The Court notes: “Congress has determined that divestiture (of TikTok) is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.
Last year, the Court heard from a TikTok lawyer who explained why the government shouldn’t be allowed to shut down the service. At the time, it seemed like most justices felt compelled to side with the government. A unanimous decision was unexpected.
Previously, NBC News reported that President Biden was exploring ways to keep TikTok online despite the ban, or at least delay the closure. Administration officials said that “Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday. With the Supreme Court’s decision, the ball is firmly in Biden’s hands. The law allows the president to enact a 90-day extension of the ban’s deadline.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA – 2024) grants the President of the United States the authority to ban applications that pose national security risks, specifically targeting TikTok. When this law was signed last spring, it received broad bipartisan support. However, since then, some have questioned the law and are exploring ways to delay or save TikTok in the U.S.
One potential solution to circumvent the ban would be for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the company to an American entity. So far, no deal has been reached to facilitate this.
If Biden were to prevent the ban from taking effect on Sunday, it would then fall to President-elect Donald J. Trump, who takes office on Monday, to decide how to proceed. Trump has indicated a willingness to halt the ban in order to review all potential options.
Without an extension or sale, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. There are some potential ways around this, such as using a VPN to bypass the TikTok ban, and several TikTok alternatives have already sprung up, the most popular of which is RedNote.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded to comments made by Donald Trump regarding Friday’s Supreme Court ruling to ban the app in the U.S.
In a video posted on TikTok, Chew said, “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stand for the First Amendment, and against arbitrary censorship.
TikTok appears to be relying on support from Trump to maintain the legality of the Chinese-owned platform in the United States. Trump clearly wants everyone to see him as TikTok’s savior, posting on Truth Social that he is in talks with China’s President Xi Jinping about finding a way to save the platform.
“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform, one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew continued. “Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives … More to come.”
Earlier Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the TikTok ban would go through. Currently, it’s uncertain whether TikTok will disable the app for users in the U.S. this Sunday or if the app plans to wait and see if the Trump administration can negotiate a resolution.
In the meantime, here are some TikTok alternatives for you to check out.
