U.S. Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban law

The Supreme Court has upheld a law that is set to ban TikTok unless it divests its U.S. operations by Sunday. The White House has said that it will leave enforcement of the law to the incoming Trump administration.

The decision to uphold a lower court ruling on the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” was confirmed in an unanimous Supreme Court vote on Friday. The legislation gave TikTok until January 19 to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban.

The Biden administration has stated it will not enforce the law, leaving the matter to the incoming Trump administration to determine the app’s future.

“TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday.”

President-elect Donald Trump has signaled his intention to “save TikTok,” though his exact plan remains unclear. According to The Washington Post, Trump is considering several options, including an executive order to delay the law’s enforcement by up to three months.

“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump said following the ruling. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded to the decision in a video posted on the platform, stating, “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform,” Chew added. “One who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.”

It remains uncertain whether TikTok will continue operations after Sunday or proceed with its plan to shut down access for all U.S. users, redirecting them to a site with information about the ban.