The US Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based parent company, starting Sunday.
The justices determined that the potential national security risks tied to TikTok’s connections with China outweighed concerns about free speech for the app’s 170 million US users, according to The Associated Press.
While a sale of TikTok does not appear imminent, experts say the app will remain accessible to current users, though new downloads and updates will be prohibited once the law takes effect. Over time, this will likely make the app nonfunctional, according to Justice Department court filings.
The law is scheduled to go into effect one day before US President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Trump previously supported a TikTok ban during his first term as President, but later pledged during his campaign to “save TikTok”.
Meanwhile, outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration has indicated it will not enforce the law during Biden’s final full day in office on Sunday, shifting responsibility to the incoming administration.
“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,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement, emphasizing the role of the new administration in implementing the law.
On Wednesday, Trump’s incoming National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, said the President-elect plans to take action to preserve TikTok after taking office.
“TikTok itself is a fantastic platform,” Waltz stated. “I wish I could have it on my phone. The algorithm is amazing. We’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data. And that’s the deal that will be in front of us.”
The legislation to ban TikTok unless it is sold was part of a series of moves in the US aimed at limiting the application.
Last February, the White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure they do not have TikTok on federal devices and systems.
In addition, several states and cities have restricted TikTok on government devices, including the state of Montana, which passed a bill banning the app across the state, and New York City, which banned TikTok on government-owned devices in August of 2023, citing security concerns.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)