{"id":2391653,"date":"2025-01-17T10:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T15:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-divestment-law-teeing-up-shutdown-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-17T10:57:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T15:57:59","slug":"supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-divestment-law-teeing-up-shutdown-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-divestment-law-teeing-up-shutdown-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court upholds TikTok divestment law, teeing up shutdown &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsupreme-court-upholds-tiktok-divestment-law-teeing-up-shutdown-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2391653&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Supreme Court has upheld a federal law requiring TikTok to divest from its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rosanna-arquette-slams-chinese-tiktok-owner-for-allowing-mass-potential-gun-violence-on-their-platform\/\" title=\"Rosanna Arquette Slams Chinese TikTok Owner for Allowing &#039;Mass Potential Gun Violence on Their Platform&#039;\">chinese parent company<\/a>, ByteDance, or face a \u200bshutdown \u200cin the United\u200d States.In a unanimous \u2064decision, the \u2062justices ruled that the law does not violate TikTok\u2019s or its users\u2019 first Amendment rights, as it focuses on ByteDance\u2019s ownership and data practices rather than \u2062content. This ruling comes just days before a compliance deadline and represents a important victory for the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">federal government amid rising national security\u2064 concerns<\/a> regarding foreign\u200d ownership of the app.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this ruling, uncertainty remains \u2064about TikTok&#8217;s future,\u2063 as\u200c President Biden has reportedly deferred enforcement\u200b to President-elect Donald\u200c Trump, who may be open to supporting the \u200dlaw. As May 2024,a law \u2063has been\u200d in place threatening to ban TikTok\u200c from U.S. \u200dapp \u200dstores unless ByteDance \u200dsells the platform, a move the company has resisted. TikTok\u200d claims \u2062the law infringes on its First Amendment\u200d rights and warns that compliance would \u2064eliminate\u2062 its presence in\u200b the U.S. market, impacting its 150 million American users.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Supreme Court upholds TikTok divestment law, teeing up shutdown<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1935190\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Supreme Court<\/a> on Friday upheld a federal law requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tiktok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">TikTok<\/a> to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a shutdown in the United States, just days ahead of the deadline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In a unanimous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/24pdf\/24-656_ca7d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">decision<\/a>, the justices sided with the federal government, agreeing that the law does not violate TikTok&rsquo;s or its users&rsquo; First Amendment rights. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized that the law targets ByteDance&rsquo;s ownership and data practices rather than the content posted by TikTok users.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Jaap Arriens\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The ruling, issued just before the Jan. 19 deadline for compliance, is a significant win for the federal government in its bid to address <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blackburn-introduces-amendments-to-counter-china-and-iran\/\" title=\"Blackburn Introduces Amendments to Counter China and Iran\">national security concerns<\/a> linked to foreign ownership of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-director-christopher-wray-testifies-before-house-judiciary-committee\/\" title=\"FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before House Judiciary Committee\">popular social media platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, uncertainty remains over the fate of the app as President Joe Biden reportedly decided at the 11th hour to defer enforcement of the law to President-elect Donald Trump, who has signaled a willingness to save the law.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">National security concerns take precedence<\/h2>\n<p>In May 2024,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Biden<\/a>&nbsp;signed a law that would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores Sunday if ByteDance did not sell TikTok, which executives have repeatedly said they are not willing to do. For years, lawmakers on Capitol Hill&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3271873\/conservative-opposition-brews-trump-leniency-tiktok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">warned<\/a>&nbsp;of Chinese influence on TikTok and passed its ban with bipartisan support in April.<\/p>\n<p>During oral arguments last week, Roberts, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said the law was &ldquo;not a burden&rdquo; on TikTok and its users&rsquo; &ldquo;expression at all,&rdquo; arguing Congress never objected to users&rsquo; speech on the app but only to a &ldquo;foreign adversary&rdquo; collecting information about the app&rsquo;s users.<\/p>\n<p>Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents, respectively, echoed similar sentiments during oral arguments, questioning whether TikTok&rsquo;s claims of free speech violations were valid when the app could continue to function under a new owner. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Uncertain future for TikTok<\/h2>\n<p>TikTok, which boasts over 150 million U.S. users, argued that the law unlawfully infringes on its First Amendment rights by effectively silencing speech on the platform. The platform&rsquo;s attorney, Noel Francisco, warned during oral arguments that if the ban takes effect, TikTok would &ldquo;essentially go dark&rdquo; in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>ByteDance has thus far refused to divest TikTok, insisting that the platform is not for sale. However, reports suggest that discussions are happening with possible U.S. buyers. The ruling could pressure ByteDance to reconsider its stance, with some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/experts-debate-how-much-us-supreme-court-ruling-chills-labor-strikes\/\" title=\"Debate among experts on how much US Supreme Court ruling affects labor strikes.\">legal experts predicting<\/a> that the divestment requirement might be the jolt needed to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trump administration&rsquo;s role looms large<\/h2>\n<p>The Supreme Court&rsquo;s ruling leaves open the question of how Trump will approach the law when he takes office on Jan. 20, one day after the divestment deadline.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Jaap Arriens\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump filed a brief with the high court expressing a neutral standpoint on the law, though he asked for the justices to delay its enactment to allow his administration to work out a resolution that could save the app. He said Tuesday he was willing to &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3286044\/trump-wait-supreme-court-ruling-before-acting-tiktok-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wait and see<\/a>&rdquo; what the Supreme Court decided before acting on a plan B for the video-based social media service.<\/p>\n<p>While the justices did not grant Trump&rsquo;s request to stay the law, the ruling acknowledged the possibility of executive discretion in enforcing the ban. Legal analysts noted that Trump could delay the law&rsquo;s implementation or negotiate with ByteDance, though such moves could face legal and political hurdles.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens next?<\/h2>\n<p>If ByteDance does not divest TikTok by Sunday, the platform will become unavailable in the U.S. for a short period. Internet service providers and app stores, including Apple and Google, will be expected to block access to the app under the law, though Biden&rsquo;s last-minute deferment to Trump on enforcement gives it a chance to remain online.<\/p>\n<p>However, if the app is forced to shut down, users who have the app downloaded to their devices will lose access to updates, rendering the app obsolete over time.<\/p>\n<p>The court&rsquo;s decision marks a pivotal moment for TikTok and its millions of creators, many of whom have expressed concerns about losing their online followings. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The case also underscores the growing tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and data security, with TikTok caught squarely in the crossfire and more Chinese-based apps that have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/3286169\/tiktok-users-flock-chinese-owned-rednote-ban-looms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">risen in popularity<\/a> in recent days as alternatives for so-called &ldquo;TikTok Refugees&rdquo; to flock to as the countdown to Jan. 19 draws nearer.<\/p>\n<p>As the divestment deadline looms, all eyes will be on ByteDance and the incoming Trump administration to determine whether TikTok&rsquo;s U.S. operations can be salvaged &mdash; or whether the platform will face an abrupt shutdown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1935190\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1935190\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court backs TikTok divestment law, risking shutdown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2391654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/TIKTOK-SUPREME-COURT.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[48685,5123,32275,6248],"class_list":["post-2391653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-divestment-law","tag-shutdown","tag-supreme-court","tag-tiktok"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/TIKTOK-SUPREME-COURT.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2391653"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2391660,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2391653\/revisions\/2391660"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2391654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2391653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2391653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2391653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}