TikTok has filed a legal request to stop a law that could ban the app in the US by January 2025. The law demands TikTok be sold or removed, citing national security concerns over its ties to China. TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, deny these links.
On Friday, TikTok lost an appeal to block the law. It has now asked the Supreme Court to review the case and issued an emergency injunction to delay the law’s enforcement.
ByteDance argues the law would cause “irreparable harm” to its business and the 170 million Americans who use TikTok monthly.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) opposes TikTok’s request, saying courts have already ruled against similar arguments. A previous decision described the law as a bipartisan effort to address threats from foreign adversaries, specifically China.
The ban is set to take effect on 19 January 2025. Donald Trump, who will become president the following day, has suggested he might overturn the law, calling it unnecessary.
ByteDance and TikTok claim the delay would allow time for the Supreme Court to review the law and for the new administration to evaluate the situation.
A TikTok ban would hurt creators, users, and the platform’s revenue, the company said. For now, the future of the app in the US remains uncertain.