Supreme Court Rules TikTok Must Be Sold or Face Ban in the U.S.

Washington: So, the Supreme Court just made a big call about TikTok. They said the app can’t operate in the U.S. unless it’s sold off by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This decision is all about national security, and they think the risks from China outweigh the concerns about limiting free speech for TikTok’s millions of users here.

Now, it looks like a sale isn’t happening anytime soon. Even though the law kicks in on January 19, existing users can still keep the app, but new downloads and updates will be off the table. That means, eventually, it could become pretty useless. The Justice Department has made it clear that without a sale, TikTok will be cut off from app stores.

This whole situation has been stirred up by some political drama. President Trump, who’s a big fan of TikTok, thinks he can work something out. But he’s at odds with some Senate Republicans who are frustrated that ByteDance hasn’t sold the app yet. It’s a bit of a mess, and no one really knows what Trump can do once he’s back in office.

The law does allow for a pause if there’s progress on a sale, but it’s unclear if that will happen. TikTok’s lawyers pointed out that selling the app is tricky, especially since Chinese laws make it hard to sell their tech secrets.

TikTok is popular for its quick videos, but there are concerns about its impact on kids and data privacy. The U.S. government worries that user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. TikTok, however, argues that there’s no proof of any wrongdoing.

This law has been a long time coming, with bipartisan support in Congress. TikTok has fought back legally, claiming it’s not a tool for the Chinese government. But the Supreme Court has now backed the law, and without a sale, TikTok will be banned from app stores starting Sunday. Some investors are still interested in buying it, but ByteDance has said they’re not selling. It’s a tense situation, and we’ll have to see how it unfolds.