The US Supreme Court on January 17 passed a federal law banning TikTok starting January 1 unless the app is sold by its parent company ByteDance (based in China).

The court said the national security threat from TikTok’s ability to illegally transfer data to China outweighed concerns about restricting free speech for its more than 170 million US users.

According to the decision, although the TikTok app will not immediately disappear from existing users’ phones, new users will not be able to download the app, while updates to the app will also be disabled in the US.

The US Justice Department said the measures would gradually make the TikTok app unavailable.

The law was passed with broad bipartisan support in the US Congress and signed into law by President Biden in April 4.

TikTok has sued the US government, saying the law violates its and its users’ freedom of speech.

However, the Supreme Court decided to uphold the law, reversing the lower court’s decision.

TikTok has repeatedly said there is no evidence that the Chinese government has manipulated content or collected user data in the United States through its platform, but the Justice Department has said it is necessary to guard against any risks.

In addition to national security concerns, TikTok is also facing lawsuits alleging that the app is addictive and negatively impacts children’s mental health. More than 12 states in the US have filed lawsuits against TikTok for this reason, but TikTok has denied the allegations.

The Supreme Court’s decision also raises questions about TikTok’s future in the US.

Under the new law, app stores like Apple and Google will not be able to offer TikTok, and internet hosting services will also be banned from continuing to host the app without a sale to an approved buyer.

While ByteDance has said it will not sell TikTok, several investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in the deal.

TH (according to VNA)