TikTok takes U.S. ban challenge to the Supreme Court
With not much time to spare before the Jan. 19 ban, TikTok has taken its case to the Supreme Court.
TikTok today took its battle against the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to block a law that would go into effect on Jan. 19, the day before Inauguration Day.
Launched in the U.S. in 2018, TikTok is used by 170 million American users.
The court filing. TikTok said the law violates the First Amendment:
- “The Act will shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration. This, in turn, will silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern.”
Why we care. TikTok has become a marketing channel of significance for a wide range of brands. It’s also a huge marketplace for the influencers whose self-generated content can have a greater impact than many of the most sophisticated brand campaigns.
Bottom line. Whatever one feels about the role of Chinese owner ByteDance and its risks to data privacy, shutting the platform down is a big deal. President-elect Trump today said he has a “warm spot” in his heart for TikTok. Feel free to place your bets on where the Supreme Court will come out on this.
Dig deeper. TikTok ban faces uncertain future under Trump’s return
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