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A US Supreme Court justice cast doubt on TikTok’s efforts to overturn a federal “leave or suspend” law on Friday, warning that the social media platform could “go dark” in one of its biggest markets within nine days.
The oral arguments on Friday focused on whether to allow the enforcement of the law to force TikTok’s Chinese parent. Bite dance He has to move the platform on Jan. 19 — the day before Donald Trump is inaugurated as president — or face a nationwide ban.
The law, which was passed last year with strong bipartisan support, has sparked concerns that the video platform, which is popular among young people and now has 170 million US users, could be used by Beijing for espionage or propaganda purposes.
Tiktok He denied the charges and said the law violated First Amendment protections of free speech. Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to “save the app” and pleaded with the Supreme Court to delay the legislative deadline to “get a chance to follow through.” Political solution for questions on the case when he returns to the White House later this month.”
Either way, the court’s decision will have far-reaching implications for free speech in the United States, as well as for international relations with China.
During oral arguments on Friday, judges from across the ideological spectrum repeatedly rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law was an attack on free speech, focusing on the issues of the platform’s uses. “Hidden Fraud” And the information is vulnerable to being collected by Beijing.
TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco of Jones Day said the law singles out the company for “particularly harsh treatment because the government fears that China may indirectly pressure TikTok in the future.”
Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the court’s conservative wing, asked: “So should we ignore the fact that the last parent is actually going to work as a spy for the Chinese government?” They replied.
Justice Elena Kagan, who is part of the court’s liberal wing, acknowledged that the company was “going to suffer very serious (but) accidental consequences.” If TikTok ultimately loses the ByteDance algorithm because of a glitch, the law would still “leave TikTok the ability to do what every actor in the United States can do, which is find the best algorithm available,” she said.
US Attorney General Elizabeth Preloger emphasized the government’s national security argument. “The Chinese government can use TikTok to harm the United States at any time,” she said, citing Beijing’s efforts to undermine the United States by collecting “sensitive information” about Americans and blackmailing companies.
she said Bite dance He accepted Beijing’s request, saying there was “evidence that he had taken steps to misuse information.” . . (and) Uyghurs in China to track down protesters in Hong Kong.
When ByteDance admitted to misappropriating the data of two American journalists, it also misused the data of the United States. Financial Times reportershe added.
Tik Tok argued that it was technically “impossible” to roll over before the deadline. Beijing, which says it is based on China’s export laws, has said it opposes the sale, calling the law “blatant commercial extortion.” Tik Tok’s lawyer, Francisco, reiterated his point on Friday, saying that firing is “extremely difficult in any time frame.”
Asked on Jan. 19 what would happen if the company loses the case, Francisco replied, “As far as I understand, we’re going to be in the dark.”
The court is expected to issue a ruling before the January 19 deadline, potentially sealing the fate of the leading entertainment and news source for young people, attracting thousands of influencers and huge advertising dollars.
Even if the court rules on TikTok, Trump could intervene once he takes office, though it’s unclear how. The video app’s sudden rescue mission came in part after the president-elect used the platform to engage with young voters during last year’s election campaign.
Trump also criticized the US social network as an “enemy of the people” for censoring conservative content, saying he wants to maintain “competition” in a market dominated by Mark Zuckerberg.
