Supreme Court Hears TikTok Ban Appeal

The US Supreme Court is currently hearing TikTok's appeal against a law that could ban the platform, effective January 19, unless it divests from its Chinese parent company. Justices from both sides of the political spectrum expressed skepticism about TikTok's argument that the law violates the free speech rights of its 170 million American users. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. emphasized national security concerns, stating that Congress is not comfortable with a foreign adversary collecting data on Americans. Justice Elena Kagan reiterated that the law targets a foreign corporation, which does not possess 1st Amendment rights. The US government has argued that TikTok could potentially be used by China for espionage, a claim that TikTok has denied. TikTok's attorney requested a temporary reprieve from the law's enforcement, suggesting that the new administration might negotiate a solution to keep the app operational.