TikTok Races Against Time: Legal Battle Intensifies

TikTok seeks Supreme Court intervention to block a law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations by January 19. An appeals court denied their extension request, pushing TikTok to the Supreme Court in a bid to avoid a shutdown, affecting 170 million users.

TikTok must urgently appeal to the Supreme Court to block a law mandating its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to divest the app by January 19. This comes after an appeals court denied their request for an extension.

Earlier, TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency motion seeking more time to present their arguments to the Supreme Court. They warned that without intervention, the law would shut down TikTok, a major platform for free speech, affecting over 170 million users in the U.S.

A Supreme Court appeal seems likely after the court rejected their bid, citing no precedent for pausing an Act of Congress amid a Supreme Court review. TikTok claims its U.S. operations are secure and not under Chinese influence, opposing Justice Department views citing national security threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)