The Supreme Court of the United States appeared inclined on Friday (10) to uphold a law passed by the American Congress that requires TikTok to be sold or effectively shut down in the country.
The American government, defending the law, offered two justifications for its creation: to combat misinformation coming from China and to prevent that country from collecting private information from American citizens.
The high court was divided on whether the first argument would be sufficient to justify the law, but several justices seemed concerned about the possibility of China using data collected from the app for espionage or even blackmail.
It is worth noting that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which, according to its owners, is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government. However, like most other Chinese companies, ByteDance is legally required to establish an internal committee of the Communist Party composed of employees who are party members.
During the hearing on Friday, the justices explored the practical implications of a decision against TikTok and placed the case on an exceptionally fast track, which is likely to be decided by the end of next week.
The decision will be among the most consequential of the digital age, as TikTok has become a cultural phenomenon fueled by a sophisticated algorithm that provides entertainment and information touching on nearly every facet of American life. TikTok has over 150 million users in the U.S.
Source: The New York Times