WASHINGTON —
The Supreme Court is poised to deliver a key decision on Friday regarding the future of TikTok in the United States, as the government aims to enforce a law that could lead to the platform’s shutdown. This law seeks to compel the sale of TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which currently serves 170 million users across the nation.
The justices are examining a challenge to this law based on free speech concerns, set against the backdrop of national security risks that led to its bipartisan support last year. TikTok’s legal representatives warned the court that the platform will cease operations this Sunday unless the Supreme Court offers a temporary stay or invalidates the law.
During recent courtroom discussions, many justices appeared inclined to uphold the law, indicating a challenging road ahead for TikTok.
In a potential twist, President-elect Donald Trump has signaled interest in finding ways to “preserve” TikTok, despite his previous support for a ban on the app. Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, mentioned this prospect during a recent interview.
While details of Trump’s authority to intervene remain vague, he could potentially instruct the Justice Department to refrain from enforcing the law, which threatens sanctions against the technology firms responsible for the app.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court indicated a decision will be announced Friday, though they refrained from detailing which cases would be addressed. This departure from standard procedure has led to heightened anticipation that the TikTok case will be among those discussed.
Typically, the Supreme Court delivers its rulings on scheduled court days, with the next session set for Tuesday.
In a notable exception to tradition, the justices will not be present in the courtroom for the reading of their opinions this Friday; instead, updates will be posted on the court’s website shortly after 10 a.m. EST.
