TikTok’s presence in the US is hanging by a thread. The short vertical video app must be sold to an American company or disappear by January 19. Things weren’t looking good for TikTok until a few days ago, and they don’t anymore, but at least there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. Because? Because the Supreme Court agreed to listen to TikTok.

This is undoubtedly the last bullet left in the chamber for application.

What happened? On April 24, and following its passage in Congress in March, Joe Biden signed into law the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Hostile Controlled Apps Act,” a law banning TikTok on national soil. The reason for this is well known: national security and possible control by the Chinese government.

The only way to get around this ban was to be sold to an American company or to show that this ban was unconstitutional, which was the point on which TikTok’s defense was based. Currently, the Washington Court of Appeals has not ruled in favor of TikTok, but that could change.

With the Constitution in hand. TikTok argued that this ban violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This says that no law can limit freedom of expression, but the TikTok case tests the extent of this freedom.

According to the aforementioned Court of Appeals decision, “the law was the culmination of comprehensive bipartisan action by Congress and successive presidents. It was carefully crafted solely for control of a foreign enemy and was part of a broader effort to counter bona fide aggression by the People’s Republic of China.” the threat it posed to national security.” He was basically saying TikTok’s argument was invalid because national security was at stake.

TikTok objections. Faced with this situation and the imminent ban of the app, TikTok spent its last bullet: filing an appeal with the Supreme Court. It wasn’t yet clear whether he would agree to listen to TikTok, but he eventually agreed. This will be the person responsible for deciding whether the ban violates the First Amendment or, conversely, whether TikTok is right and the block can continue. This will be the last major case before Donald Trump takes office as President, which set this entire process in motion.

Image | Feast Feyissa

In this sense, it is also worth noting that TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last Monday. Donald Trump, who tried to ban the application in his previous term, had some nice words about TikTok before that meeting:

“Let’s look at TikTok. I have a warm place in my heart for TikTok because I won the youth vote by 34 points. And there are those who say TikTok had a part in this.”

what happens now. On January 10, just days before the ban goes into effect, the Supreme Court will hear arguments from both sides and issue a decision. Now the Justice Department, TikTok’s lawyers and a group of users who are separately challenging the law will have to prepare to argue in court whether this law violates the First Amendment.

It’s certainly the final shot for TikTok, which argues that this law will serve to silence “the voices of more than 170 million Americans in the United States and around the world.”

Cover image | TikTok, Wikimedia Commons, edited by Xataka

in Xataka | Beauty filters have a negative impact on our health. TikTok banned minors