TikTok's Could Face Ban in US After Bad Day in Court

TikTok may face a ban in the United States after its hearing in the US Supreme Court on Friday went badly.

Judges appeared to be prefer the government’s argument that ownership of the app as an issue of national security, not free speech, according to a report by Eurasia Group’s GZero Daily on Monday, which noted that US lawmakers are concerned about the Chinese government having access to enormous amounts of Americans’ data – and fear the app could be used to spread Beijing’s agenda.

Other news outlets, such as The Hill, said that lawyers for the popular Chinese app “got a frosty reception” in their fight to stave off a ban.

ALSO SEE: Biden Restricts Access to AI Chips to US Firms And Its Allies

GZero noted that Facebook and other American social media platforms are banned in China, “with Beijing taking a similar view to that of the US government”. The justices seemed worried that TikTok could be used for espionage or even blackmail, it said.

Control of app seen as key issue, not free speech

Remarks by the Chief Justice may be a pointer on how the appeal will go.

“Congress doesn’t care about what’s on TikTok. They don’t care about the [free] expression,” claimed Chief Justice John Roberts during questioning, clarifying “That’s shown by the remedy. They’re not saying TikTok has to stop. They’re saying the Chinese have to stop controlling TikTok.”

If the court rules against the app, it would mean TikTok’s parent company Bytedance must divest the company before January 19 or face a ban in the United States on national security grounds, GZero said. The app would no longer be available on the Google or Apple app stores.

People in the US who have downloaded the app would no longer be able to get downloads and it was likely to degrade without the ability to update “and TikTok may block US users before that happens to avoid further legal issues.”

Incoming President Donald Trump had vowed to save the app, but there was no clear legal method to do that, it said.

‘Top risks for 2025’

The GZero Daily updates are produced by Eurasia Group, which is led by analyst Ian Bremmer. It says the TikTok verdict could be part of a breakdown of the US relationship with China, and that “Trump’s return to office is likely to exacerbate the decoupling — increasing the risk of instability and crisis.”

That is one of Bremmer’s Top Risks for 2025, as he says “We’re entering a uniquely dangerous period of world history on par with the 1930s and the early Cold War.”

His third top risk for the year is: “Trump’s return to office will unleash an unmanaged decoupling in the world’s most important geopolitical relationship.”

Read more here of Bremmer’s Top Risks for 2025.