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Sara Fischer: TikTok asks Supreme Court to temporarily block government ban
By Sara Fischer: TikTok asked the Supreme Court on Monday to temporarily block a law that would effectively ban the social media app in the U.S.
Why it matters: This is TikTok’s last resort as the request follows a denial by a U.S. Appeals Court to grant an injunction on the ban law until the Supreme Court decides whether or not to take up the case.
Driving the news: TikTok’s emergency appeal says the law violates the company’s First Amendment rights and its over 170 million American app users.
- “Because TikTok Inc. is a U.S. company exercising editorial discretion over a U.S. speech platform, the First Amendment fully protects it from Congress’s attempt to ban its operation of the platform based on its purported susceptibility to foreign influence,” lawyers for TikTok wrote.
Zoom out: The TikTok ban law is set to go into effect on Jan. 19. Barring an appeal, tech companies like Google and Apple will be legally required to remove TikTok from their app stores.
- Congress could also choose to repeal the law, but that seems unlikely. President-elect Trump, who has flip-flopped on the issue, could try to urge his DOJ not to enforce the ban.
The law requires TikTok to sell the app to a U.S. company by Jan. 19 to prevent the ban from taking effect, but no potential buyers appear poised to complete a deal by the deadline.
What to watch: Trump said he has a “warm spot” in his “heart for TikTok” and would look at whether to stave off the looming ban.
- However, he doesn’t take office until Jan. 20.
- Trump is expected to meet with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago today.
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