By Twink Jones Gadama
In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law banning TikTok unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, divests from the popular social media platform. The ruling, which was unanimous with a 9-0 vote, has sparked concerns about freedom of expression and the future of social media in the US.
As of today, January 19, 2025, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act takes effect, making it unlawful for companies in the US to provide services to TikTok. The law aims to address national security concerns surrounding TikTok’s data collection practices and its relationship with the Chinese government.
TikTok has stated that it will be forced to “go dark” this weekend unless the outgoing Biden administration provides assurances that it will not enforce the shutdown of the app. The company has argued that the ban would infringe on the right to free expression and deprive users of their preferred digital publisher.
The Supreme Court’s decision has been met with mixed reactions. While some experts argue that the ban is necessary to protect national security, others believe that it sets a dangerous precedent for government control over social media.
“This is a classic case of the government trying to restrict speech under the guise of national security,” said Jessica Silbey, a law professor at Boston University. “The court’s decision is troubling because it suggests that the government can restrict speech without providing adequate justification”.
The ban has also sparked concerns about the impact on TikTok’s users, who number over 170 million in the US. Many users have expressed outrage and disappointment on social media, using hashtags such as #SaveTikTok and #FreeSpeech.
The Biden administration has defended the law, arguing that it is necessary to prevent the Chinese government from collecting data on Americans and manipulating what content they see. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that TikTok’s assertion that it would go dark was akin to a threat in a high-stakes game of chicken.
As the ban takes effect, it remains unclear what the future holds for TikTok and its users in the US. The company has vowed to continue fighting the ban, and some experts believe that the issue may ultimately be decided by Congress.
In the meantime, TikTok users in the US are bracing for the worst. “This is a dark day for free speech and social media,” said one user. “I hope that somehow, someway, TikTok can find a way to come back.”
TikTok is back online after Trump pledged to restore it
TikTok welcomed users back to the platform on Sunday, about 14 hours after it abruptly shut itself down minutes before a nationwide ban took effect—a reversal prompted by President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to halt the ban when he takes office Monday by extending a deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the app.
4:20 p.m. EST, January 19Trump adviser Jason Miller told CNN the president-elect’s team is “still finalizing” an executive order to delay the TikTok ban and give the platform more time to reach a deal to stay in the U.S.
4:10 p.m. EST, January 19A 19-year-old arrested for allegedly setting fire to a building that houses the office of Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., told authorities early Sunday he was motivated by the TikTok ban, local police told multiple news outlets (law enforcement said nobody was injured).
3:10 p.m. EST, January 19TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is planning on attending Trump’s pre-inauguration victory rally in D.C., which is set to begin shortly, CNN reported earlier, citing unnamed sources—days after The New York Times revealed Chew plans to attend the inauguration itself, alongside tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
1:50 p.m. EST, January 19TikTok is now back online for many American users, sending a popup message that states: “Welcome back!” adding, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”—though it still does not appear to be available on Apple’s App Store.
1 p.m. EST, January 19Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, warned that “any company that hosts, distributes, services or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability” in a tweet responding to the company’s announcement that it’s restoring the app.