US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, ball now in Trump's court

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a statute providing for a ban on TikTok in America unless the app was divested from its Chinese parent company by Jan. 19.

No sale happened, and now it might be up to Donald Trump to save the app.

In the relevant ruling, the Supreme Court wrote:

There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.

The court continued, "For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights. The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is affirmed."

There were zero dissents noted among the justices.

Around the time of the decision, TikTok's CEO publicly said that Trump might be able to save them, thanking the incoming president for his "commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States."

"This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship," the CEO added.