The United States Supreme Court is poised to deliver a critical decision that could affect the future of TikTok, a social media platform with a significant user base of 170 million in the country. At the heart of the case is a federal law that mandates the sale of TikTok by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, due to national security concerns.
Scheduled for a potential announcement on Friday, the Supreme Court’s decision will address a free speech challenge against the law, which is set to be enforced on Sunday. TikTok’s legal representative argued last week that the platform would be forced to cease operations in the U.S. unless the justices either grant a temporary reprieve or invalidate the law.
During the legal proceedings, most justices appeared inclined to affirm the law. However, an unexpected development has offered TikTok an alternative route. President-elect Donald Trump, once a proponent of banning the app, is reportedly exploring ways to maintain TikTok’s presence in the U.S. His incoming national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, mentioned this possibility in a televised interview on Wednesday.
The extent of Trump’s power to intervene remains uncertain. However, he might potentially instruct the Justice Department to refrain from enforcing the law, which includes penalties for tech companies that facilitate TikTok’s availability.
The Supreme Court has hinted that at least one decision will be released on Friday, though it has not specified which case it will address. This deviates from the norm, suggesting a heightened likelihood that the TikTok case will be resolved. Typically, the Supreme Court issues rulings on days when the justices convene, with the next court session set for Tuesday.
Under normal circumstances, justices present summaries of their decisions in the courtroom, but they will not be present this Friday. The court’s website will publish any decisions starting at 10 a.m. EST on Friday.
