A federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app to a non-Chinese entity by mid-January or face a ban in the United States.
The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing scrutiny of TikTok, one of the nation’s most popular social media platforms with more than 170 million users.
The ruling is a major blow to TikTok, which had sought to overturn the law, saying it unfairly singled out the app and infringed on the First Amendment rights of its U.S. users. ByteDance has maintained that a sale is unfeasible, citing expected opposition from the Chinese government.
President-elect Donald Trump, who has publicly expressed his support for TikTok, is now facing increasing pressure to intervene. However, his team has not yet drawn up a clear plan to save the app. A spokesperson recently stated, “He will make it happen,” but provided no further details.
The law, which came into effect in April, gives TikTok until January 19 to comply or face a nationwide ban. Free speech advocates and content creators who rely on the platform for their income have expressed concerns about the potential removal of the app, which could disrupt the digital economy and restrict users’ access to a platform that is a cultural phenomenon has become.
TikTok’s next steps are uncertain. Legal experts expect the company will appeal to the Supreme Court, although there is no guarantee the judges will hear the case. Meanwhile, the court’s decision adds urgency to ByteDance’s predicament, with no immediate solution in sight.
The decision intensifies the debate over TikTok’s role in the US market and highlights broader geopolitical tensions surrounding technology and data security.