TikTok Ban Upheld by Supreme Court, Not Swayed by First Amendment Claims

Bree Fowler writes about cybersecurity and digital privacy. Before joining CNET she reported for The Associated Press and Consumer Reports. A Michigan native, she's a long-suffering Detroit sports fan, world traveler, two star marathoner and champion baker of over-the-top birthday cakes and all-things sourdough.

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that could pave the way for a US ban of TikTok to take effect as soon as Sunday.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden last year, would effectively ban the app in the US if TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, doesn't sell it to a buyer deemed fit by US officials by Jan. 19. TikTok sued over the law, claiming it violated First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech for the company and TikTok's 170 million users in the US.

The justices were not persuaded by that ...