TikTok Faces Ban as U.S. Court Upholds Divestment Law

A U.S. appeals court denied TikTok's request to block a law mandating ByteDance's divestment of the app by January 19 to avoid a ban. With the law taking effect, TikTok plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing its operations are U.S.-based despite national security concerns.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday dismissed an urgent plea from TikTok to obstruct a law necessitating its Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the app by January 19, preventing a total ban.

TikTok had sought more time to present its case to the Supreme Court, warning the law's enactment could silence a major American platform serving over 170 million monthly users. The ruling now forces TikTok to advance its appeal directly to the Supreme Court.

The Justice Department supports the divestment, citing national security risks from Chinese influence, but TikTok maintains its operations and data are securely based in the United States. ByteDance and TikTok must expedite their legal process against the law's backdrop.

(With inputs from agencies.)