TikTok faces imminent US ban as Supreme Court rejects appeal

TikTok is facing an imminent ban to operations in the US after the Supreme Court rejected the company’s appeal against the divest-or-ban act.

The deadline for the company to find a buyer or face removal in the US is January 19th. Publicly, Chinese owner ByteDance has made no attempts to sell the app in the country.

TikTok had attempted to claim through legal avenues that such a ban would break First Amendment rights on free speech, given the app’s popularity in the country. The Supreme Court did not agree.

No violation

“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,” read a statement from the Supreme Court Justices.

“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. For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights."

You can read the full opinion from the court here.

The Biden administration has commented on the Supreme Court's decision, citing the current president's support for access to the app, but deferred action to the next administration.

"The Administration, like the rest of the country, has awaited the decision just made by the US Supreme Court on the TikTok matter," read a statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President’s desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law.

"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday."

Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the new US president on January 20th, one day after the ban takes effect. Despite kicking off proceedings for a ban during his last term, the Republican has since signalled he would try to stop it.

Games ecosystem

TikTok has become a notable player in the user acquisition space for games, with the platform ranking in the AppsFlyer Performance Index, which measures the top media sources in mobile advertising.

The ban will mean publishers looking to market at US players will need to use other platforms and networks. While there are other platforms, like Instagram Reels, there are currently no clear alternatives for TikTok.

With a ban imminent, some users have flocked to RedNote, an app owned by Chinese company Xingin. According to AppMagic estimates, the app has generated 1.1 million downloads in the US during the past six days.