The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok’s appeal against a pending ban on its operations, citing national security concerns over its ties to Chinese ownership. TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, deny any links to the Chinese government.
The legal battle hinges on conflicting values of national security versus free speech. TikTok argues the ban violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million U.S. users, while government agencies and courts maintain the ban is justified for security reasons.
Scheduled for January 10, the hearing will occur just days before the ban’s implementation deadline. Adding intrigue, former President Donald Trump, despite supporting a ban during his tenure, has recently expressed opposition, hinting TikTok helped him secure the youth vote.
Civil liberties groups have also filed briefs supporting TikTok, advocating for the platform’s role in free expression and public communication.
