The future of popular social media app TikTok will be debated in the US Supreme Court today, January 10. The case comes as the January 19 deadline looms, which requires TikTok owner ByteDance to sell to a company outside of China or face a ban that would cut a third of the platform’s users. ByteDance argues that the ban violates free speech, while some lawmakers have expressed concern that the social media platform could present a national security risk.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Station, will be live streaming the hearing on YouTube. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 EST; the court has set aside two hours for the arguments, though the case could take far longer and a decision may not come during the first scheduled argument.
You can watch the stream below:
President Joe Biden signed a law in April, which passed the House and Senate with a bipartisan majority, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban from the US app stores. Lawmakers expressed concern that the app could be forced to hand over user data to China, presenting a potential national security risk. It’s not the only popular China-based brand receiving political scrutiny in the US, as DJI and Autel now need to pass a security study within a year to remain in the US.
A US Court of Appeals turned down ByteDance’s argument that the law violated first amendment free speech in December; after the company appealed, the case now moves on to the Supreme Court.
If the courts do not vote in favor of TikTok or extend the deadline, the app wouldn’t disappear from US phones on January 19. Instead, the app stores in the country would stop offering downloads, including updates.
According to PBS, the US makes up a third of TikTok users. Losing those users – as well as advertisers that want to reach customers in the US – would deal a big blow to the company. ByteDance previously stated that a sale of the app was not possible.
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