TikTok to be banned in the US from Sunday, Supreme Court rules
17 January 2025, 15:10 | Updated: 17 January 2025, 16:04
The United States Supreme Court has upheld a ban on TikTok, despite the White House saying the app should be available for Americans.
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TikTok will be banned in the United States from Sunday, the Supreme Court ruled today.
The top judges in the US decided to uphold a ban on the popular video-sharing app, which has over 170 million users in the country.
The court ruled the "dangers" the app poses to national security overide questions over free speech.
This comes despite President Joe Biden saying the app should be available for Americans.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President’s desk."
The video-sharing app will "go dark" as early as next week following the ban - unless it is sold to a non-Chinese company.
US President-elect Donald Trump previously requested that the Supreme Court delay the ban in a bid to formulate a "political resolution".
US officials and lawmakers had accused TikTok's owner ByteDance of being linked to the Chinese government, but the firm denies this.
A statement shared by the Supreme Court reads: "There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community.
"But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.
"For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights.
"The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is affirmed. It is so ordered," the statement ends.
The app has 170 million users in the US, and in April Congress passed a bill which President Joe Biden signed into law, which included the divest or ban requirement.
TikTok and ByteDance have filed several legal challenges against the law, stating that it threatens American free speech protections with minimal success.
But no potential buyer has emerged, meaning the app is almost certain to be banned on Sunday.
