Supreme Court Approves TikTok Ban In The United States

The TikTok logo appears on a smartphone screen, and the flag of the United States is on a computer screen as the background in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece, on January 15, 2025.
(Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

It’s official, the Supreme Court upholds the TikTok ban in the United States. 

The ruling came on Friday (January 17) and it will allow the federal government to legally shut down the social media app, affecting Americans who profit from it. Last April, President Biden signed a bill that stated TikTok must come off its “China-based parent company or shut down in the U.S.” 

However, TikTok refused the ban in court and argued that the ban would violate the “free speech rights of both users and the company.” An appeal went to the Supreme Court, which was heard on Jan. 10. 

Since making the decision, the ban will go into effect on Sunday, January 19, and it will no longer be available in Apple and Google’s app stores. Web-hosting providers must also cut ties with the platform or they will be subject to up to $5,000 in fines for each user who still has access to the social media app. 

This ban has left many users confused with a lot of unanswered questions. “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,” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion. “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. We conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights.”

The ban will go into effect on the 19th a day before Donald Trump will be sworn into office. Once he’s in office, Trump can instruct the Justice Department to not enforce the ban. He could also extend the ban’s start date although it would already be in effect. 

“As I understand it, we shut down. It is possible that come January 20th, 21st, and 22nd, we might be in a different world,” TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco said to the court during the Jan. 10 hearing. 

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

What are your thoughts on this?