The U.S. Supreme Court is expediting its review of a case concerning the potential forced sale or nationwide ban of the short-video social media platform TikTok, with a decision possibly coming as early as next week, according to reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard debates on Friday regarding whether the "sell or ban" order against TikTok violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, reports said. The arguments were presented by TikTok and the U.S. Department of Justice.
During the debate, while some justices expressed concerns about the potential conflict between the bill and the First Amendment, the majority believed that the law targets TikTok's ownership rather than its content. They are inclined to think that the company's relationship with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, poses a threat to U.S. national security.
U.S. government officials have long politicized TikTok's operations, citing China's potential use of TikTok to collect U.S. user data for surveillance as a pretext.
Under a law passed by the U.S. Congress last year, TikTok is required to separate from ByteDance by Jan 19, or face a complete ban.
However, TikTok, ByteDance, and many content creators argue that the law targeting TikTok violates the First Amendment's right to free speech, and they have asked the court to delay or overturn the bill.
US Supreme Court speeds up review of TikTok case: reports
US Supreme Court speeds up review of TikTok case: reports
US Supreme Court speeds up review of TikTok case: reports
