The Supreme Court's rejection of TikTok's appeal paves the way for a potential ban on the platform, effective Sunday, January 19th. The court unanimously dismissed TikTok's First Amendment challenge, citing the platform's scale, susceptibility to foreign control, and extensive data collection as justifying government intervention to address national security concerns.
Without executive intervention, TikTok will be unavailable in the U.S. on Sunday. While President Biden prefers American ownership, the implementation falls to the incoming Trump administration. The Supreme Court's ruling acknowledged TikTok's significance for its users but upheld Congress's determination that divestiture is necessary to mitigate national security risks.
Trump, previously opposed to a ban, might issue an executive order delaying enforcement for 60-90 days. He's reportedly discussing the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reports suggest a complete sale to a Western buyer is a possibility, with Elon Musk potentially acting as an intermediary or even a prospective buyer himself.
In anticipation of the ban, users are migrating to alternative platforms, notably Red Note (Xiaohongshu), which saw a surge of over 700,000 new users in just two days.
TikTok's future in the U.S. hinges on a sale or a last-minute executive order from the Trump administration.
