US Supreme Court to hear challenge to potential ban on TikTok
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok’s final legal arguments on why it should not be banned or sold in the US.
The US government is taking action against the app because it says it has ties to the Chinese state – links that TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have rejected.
Supreme Court judges did not take action A request by TikTok for an emergency injunction That’s against the law, but TikTok and ByteDance will instead be allowed to present their case on January 10 — nine days before the ban takes effect.
Earlier in December, Rejected by a federal appeals court Effort to overturn the law, saying it was “the culmination of extensive, bipartisan action by Congress and successive presidents”.
The Supreme Court is the highest legal authority in the US, and the decision on TikTok’s case is important because it hears only 100 or so cases a year out of the more than 7,000 petitions it receives.
TikTok had earlier argued that attempts to ban it were unconstitutional as it would affect the freedom of expression of its users in the country.
TikTok said on Wednesday that it is happy with the Supreme Court order.
“We believe the court will find the TikTok ban unconstitutional, so the more than 170 million Americans on our platform can continue to exercise their free speech rights,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC.
According to University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias, the appeal creates a conflict between American values of free speech and national security.
Tobias said, “The appeals court found that national security was stronger than the First Amendment arguments. However, the judge will examine potentially conflicting, but important values.”
However, TikTok’s future doesn’t just depend on the legal process – Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election could also give it a lifeline.
He met TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported, citing sources familiar with the meeting.
Despite supporting the ban in his first term as president, Trump has publicly stated that he opposes the ban.
But he will not assume office until January 20, the next day after the deadline to ban or sell TikTok.
“I have a warm heart for TikTok because I have defeated the youth by 34 points,” he claimed at a press conference on Monday. However, the majority of people aged 18 to 29 supported his rival Kamala Harris.
“There are people who say TikTok has something to do with it,” he said.
But despite Trump’s support, senior Senate Republican Mitch McConnell urged the Supreme Court to reject TikTok’s bid.
In a brief filed with the court, he called the firm’s arguments “meritless and baseless.”
However, TikTok has the support of some civil liberties organizations.
A group of them have filed a joint petition in court urging it to stop the ban on the platform, which they argue is “used every day by millions of people to communicate, learn about the world, and express themselves.” Are.”
