The U.S. appeals court upheld the TikTok divestment law, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19 or face a ban. The Justice Department argues that TikTok poses a national security risk due to Chinese control, but TikTok warns the law could render the app unusable for its 170 million U.S. users.
ByteDance has appealed to the Supreme Court for a delay, citing President-elect Trump’s promise to block the ban once in office. The decision now hinges on whether the Biden administration grants a 90-day extension before Trump takes office on January 20. Without intervention, TikTok may face severe operational limitations, with broader implications for other foreign-owned apps.
