Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments over TikTok ban

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Published  December 18, 2024 12:36pm CST
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FILE-A person holds a phone displaying the TikTok logo. (Photo by ANTONIN UTZ/AFP via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Supreme Court justices will hear arguments in January about a potential TikTok ban in the U.S.
    • Justices will determine whether the law limits free speech and violates the First Amendment. 
    • The law also set a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the social media platform by Jan. 19 or face a ban in the U.S.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments over a federal law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, does not sell the social media platform, which has over 170 million users in the nation.

On Jan. 10, 2025, justices will hear arguments about whether the law restricts free speech in violation of the First Amendment. 

Federal judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the law on Dec. 6, then rejected an emergency plea to delay the legislation going into effect.

RELATED: TikTok ban bill signed by Biden - now what?

According to the Associated Press, the legislation set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or face a ban in the U.S. The law passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by President Joe Biden in April.

Lawyers for TikTok and ByteDance encouraged the Supreme Court justices to get involved before Jan. 19. Meanwhile, the justices will hear arguments from content creators who rely on the social media platform for income and certain TikTok users. 

RELATED: Montana lawmakers pass bill to ban TikTok statewide

President-elect Donald Trump, who once supported a TikTok ban but then promised during his campaign to "save TikTok," has said his incoming administration would monitor the situation. 

The AP reported that Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.

Attorneys for TikTok and ByteDance have argued that Trump’s Justice Department might delay enforcement of law or attempt to lessen the legislation's most severe consequences. 

RELATED: Is TikTok getting banned in the US? What to know

Trump returns to the White House the day after the law is supposed to be enforced.

The Source

  • Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, who received comments from the attorneys for TikTok and ByteDance regarding the possible ban in the U.S. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.