In less than a month, TikTok could be banned from app stores across the United States. But in a last-minute ruling, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments from TikTok and its Chinese parent company on why a ban might be unconstitutional.
This spring, President Joe Biden approved legislation that would have banned TikTok in January unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance sold it. The legislation has been in the works for several years, as government officials fear TikTok is a national security concern.
If ByteDance does not sell TikTok by January 19, the app will be illegal to distribute through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Internet service providers will also be required to make the app inaccessible in US web browsers.
Here’s what you need to know about the TikTok ban, including when SCOTUS will consider the legislation.
When will the Supreme Court review the ban on TikTok?
The Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s arguments on January 10, 2025, just over a week before the ban could take effect.
Holiday offers: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.
What is TikTok asking SCOTUS to do?
TikTok wants SCOTUS to overturn a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which says violating the law’s free speech rights is justified because of national security concerns.
When might the TikTok ban come into effect?
The ban will take effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025, unless ByteDance sells the platform by then.
Can TikTok be bought?
Although China has been vocal in the past about its opposition to the sale of TikTok, billionaire Frank McCourt has expressed his interest in buying the American part of the platform with a group of associates. McCourt, founder of Project Liberty and executive chairman of McCourt Global, said a consortium of associates has verbally pledged up to $20 billion for the acquisition.
However, if McCourt were to buy TikTok, it would only be the U.S. portion and would not include TikTok’s algorithm, which China views as its intellectual property, McCourt told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on beginning of this month.
Does Donald Trump want to ban TikTok?
President-elect Donald Trump’s vision for TikTok when he takes office is unclear. Despite the steps he took during his first term to avoid ByteDance, he has expressed mixed feelings about the app recently.
Last week, Trump said during a press conference that he has a “warm place” in his heart for TikTok, as he believes the app helped him gain ground with young voters in the 2024 presidential election.
“TikTok had an impact and so we’re taking a look at it,” Trump said. “I have a little warm place in my heart. I’ll be honest.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Trump’s team for comment.
Why did the government create the ban?
The national security concerns stem from concerns that ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, has access to US data and is sharing it with the Chinese government.
In 2020, Trump issued an executive order regarding TikTok. As part of the order, Trump sought to ban TikTok in the US and stop all transactions with the company, according to the Trump White House archive page. However, this ban was never enforced.
In 2021, Biden revoked Trump’s proposed ban and issued a new executive order regarding ByteDance, which said the company “continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” a court US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The district court opinion says the federal appeals court opinion. In 2022, Biden signed a bill that banned the use of TikTok on government equipment.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media app known for its short videos. Users can create, post and interact with videos in the app. TikTok is popular for its motion algorithm and allows users to post videos from three seconds to 10 minutes. Users can add various filters, backgrounds, music and stickers to their videos.
Contributed by: Maureen Groppe and Karissa Waddick
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.