“TikTok appeals to US Supreme Court to block looming ban amid national security concerns”

TikTok has asked the US Supreme Court to block a law requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app by January 19 or face a ban. TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency request to halt the ban while appealing a lower court ruling. The law, passed in April, cites national security concerns due to TikTok’s data access and content manipulation capabilities.

The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit upheld the law, rejecting TikTok’s free speech arguments. TikTok argues that users should choose whether to use the app despite risks. The company claims a ban would cause significant user loss and harm its business.

President-elect Donald Trump, who previously tried to ban TikTok, has promised to save it. TikTok seeks a Supreme Court decision by January 6 to manage a potential shutdown. The dispute highlights US-China trade tensions. TikTok denies sharing US user data and calls the law a free speech violation.