A U.S. appeals court has denied TikTok’s emergency request to delay a looming law that could force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app by January 19. The ruling accelerates the timeline for TikTok to appeal directly to the Supreme Court in an attempt to prevent the ban, which U.S. authorities argue poses a national security risk due to potential Chinese control over user data.
The court’s unanimous decision Friday stated that TikTok and ByteDance failed to present a case where a law was blocked during a Supreme Court review after a constitutional challenge was rejected. TikTok responded by confirming it would seek intervention from the highest court, citing the First Amendment’s protection of free speech.
The law in question mandates ByteDance’s divestment of TikTok by mid-January or face a complete ban. U.S. officials claim that TikTok’s continued operation under Chinese ownership threatens national security, a point TikTok disputes by emphasizing its U.S.-based data storage and content moderation.
With the ruling placing the pressure on TikTok to act swiftly, the fate of the app may hinge on the incoming administration, as President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office just one day after the deadline. Despite previously opposing a ban, Trump’s position remains uncertain regarding the app’s future. Meanwhile, government officials are pushing for action to remove TikTok from U.S. app stores by January 19.
