TikTok faces 'political winter' as US court denies its request to delay potential ban

According to Reuters, on Dec. 13, local time, a federal appeals court declined to suspend its ruling that upholds the federal ban on TikTok while the company seeks to appeal to the Supreme Court. This decision leaves TikTok with just a few weeks to obtain a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court before the ban is set to take effect on Jan. 19.

In response to the decision, TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance need to act swiftly by filing an emergency motion with the US Supreme Court to seek an extension and present their arguments. Without intervention, TikTok risks losing access to its 170 million US users as the platform faces a potential shutdown or forced sale.

This legal battle stems from the National Security Supplemental signed by President Joe Biden in April, which empowers the US government to ban foreign-owned apps, including social media platforms, that raise concerns over data privacy and national security.

The US Department of Justice has argued that ByteDance's control over TikTok poses a threat to national security. However, TikTok has strongly refuted these claims, stating that its recommendation algorithms and user data are stored on Oracle-operated servers in the US, while all content moderation decisions are made domestically.

The ruling adds further uncertainty to TikTok's future in the US. If the Supreme Court sides with the lower court's decision, TikTok's fate will depend on President Biden, who holds the authority to extend the Jan. 19 deadline by 90 days. However, with President-elect Trump's inauguration set for Jan. 20—just one day after the enforcement date—TikTok appears unlikely to survive this political storm.

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