TikTok Faces Ban by Sunday After Supreme Court Rejects Appeal

The Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's appeal paves the way for a potential ban on the platform in the U.S., starting Sunday, January 19th. The court unanimously dismissed TikTok's First Amendment challenge, citing the app's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and extensive data collection as justifying the government's national security concerns.

Without political intervention, TikTok will be effectively shut down in the U.S. this Sunday. While President Biden has expressed a preference for TikTok to remain available under American ownership, the implementation of the ban falls to the incoming Trump administration.

The Supreme Court's ruling acknowledged TikTok's significance for millions of American users but upheld the ban as necessary to address national security concerns regarding data practices and ties to a foreign adversary.

Despite previously opposing a TikTok ban, President-elect Trump may issue an executive order delaying enforcement for 60-90 days. He has reportedly discussed the matter with Chairman Xi Jinping. The possibility of China selling TikTok to a Western entity remains uncertain, but reports suggest this is being considered. Elon Musk, involved with the incoming administration, is reportedly acting as a potential intermediary for interested buyers, or may even attempt a purchase himself.

In anticipation of the ban, many TikTok users have migrated to the similar Chinese app, Red Note (Xiaohongshu), with Reuters reporting over 700,000 new users in just two days.

TikTok's future in the U.S. hinges on either a successful sale or a last-minute executive order from the Trump administration.