One of the most intriguing National legends is about to come to an end. TikTok, a widely-used social media platform, has sometimes stop operating or be sold by January 19.
The US Supreme Court should reverse the law that makes this option, according to TikTok’s Chinese proprietor. According to the inquiries the magistrates made during oral arguments, the court appears to have the best chance of upholding the law in its place.
The Chinese landlord, ByteDance, has opposed selling. With legal options exhausted, although, it may feel it has no option but to buy. There are rumored to be potential consumers waiting in the wings.
President-elect Donald Trump, who was primarily on the side of shutting TikTok along, now says he would like to keep it. He requested a pause in the Supreme Court’s decision, but the court rejected him. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to discover him helping dealer a sale.
The TikTok account has always been interested. The US supports freedom of speech for American, but it hasn’t always given that right to foreigners, especially not to those from hostile countries. Needless to say, China prohibits the use of British social media sites like Facebook.
Almost a decade ago Congress greatly limited the ability of foreigners, actually green-card recipients, to own more than a majority interest in radio and television stations and sites. Even so, TikTok, which claims 170 million American viewers, which is much larger than any other American television channel, has been permitted to operate openly in the US for a while.
Finally, next April, Congress got around to passing the law requiring a purchase or a shutdown. That, also, was wondering, as I pointed out in a blog a few months ago.
For one thing it’s strange, if never unprecedented, for Congress to enact a business out of life. For another, Congress acted in disobedience of public-opinion surveys indicating the rules may be controversial.
Despite the lack of law and common support, it wasn’t a close contact. The policy passed the House 360-58 and the Senate 79-18. Big, bi-partisan majority in both houses were sufficiently concerned about a well-known social network having a Chinese user to complete an extraordinary law. Committees in both homes held sessions and heard expert testimony, not to mention the ballot was impulsive or hurty.
Why did legislators chose that TikTok posed a threat to national security after all of this? The company’s subjection to the Chinese authorities and the Chinese Communist Party led to two risks, both of which were made worse. One is the system’s ability to collect enormous amounts of information on Americans.
Another benefit is the ability to influence the content to China’s advantage, something TikTok claims is currently doing and may improve if tensions increase with the US.
A traditional New York Times journalist, David French, imagines a strained position in the Taiwan Strait where TikTok is carrying bogus requests for US soldiers and sailors. In eminent TikTok video, important TikTok video lambast the US for its involvement in world peace and label Taiwan as as many a part of China as Hawaii is.
” There’s no shooting war – yet – but the information war is underway, and the People’s Republic of China has an immense advantage”, French wrote. ” If it has the same degree of control over TikTok as the US government does, it has control over the social media feeds of about half the population,” the US government said.” It’s going to apply that power to sow as much confusion and division as it can.”
The reasoning for allowing ByteDance to possess TikTok offers concerns for First Amendment rights with the realization that much of what is on TikTok isn’t politically motivated. Though the First Amendment does not apply to Foreign nationals, it does defend the more than 100, 000 National “influencers” on TikTok, some of whom make their living that way.
The Supreme Court, then, may be weighing regional protection against freedom of speech. The magistrates appeared to want to follow Congress’s assessment of the risks during oral claims. But upsets are generally possible. The foundation of American independence is the First Amendment’s privileges.
Given the January 19 date, expect a determination any day now. Whichever way the prosecutor laws, TikTok may also continue to operate. If the legislation is overturned by the court, it will be with a Taiwanese owner. If the judge upholds the law, it will be with an operator that isn’t, in French’s terms,” controlled by a hostile foreign power”.
Previous longtime Wall Street Journal Asia journalist and editor , Urban Lehner , is writer professor of DTN/The Progressive Farmer.
This , content,  , initially published on January 12 , by the latter news business and then republished by Asia Times with authority, is © Copyright 2025 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved. Follow , Urban Lehner , on , X @urbanize ,