TikTok warns of broader impact if US SC allows ban

The lawyer for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance offered a warning during Supreme Court arguments over a law that would compel the sale of the short-video app or ban it in the United States: If Congress could do this to TikTok, it could come after other companies, too.

The law, which was the subject of arguments before the nine justices on Friday, sets a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban on national security grounds. The companies have sought, at the very least, a delay in implementation of the law, which they say violates the US Constitution's First Amendment protection against government abridgment of free speech.

Noel Francisco, representing TikTok and ByteDance, argued that Supreme Court endorsement of this law could enable statutes targeting other companies on similar grounds.

"AMC movie theatres used to be owned by a Chinese company. Under this theory, Congress could order AMC movie theatres to censor any movies that Congress doesn't like or promote any movies that Congress wanted," Francisco told the justices.

The justices signalled through their questions during the arguments that they were inclined to uphold the law, although some expressed serious concerns about its First Amendment implications.