With Biden reportedly planning to skirt enforcement and kick the can to Trump, this saga might still not be over

The US Supreme Court has upheld a law requiring TikTok to either divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a ban in the United States. The decision eliminates the final legal obstacle to the federal government forcing a shutdown of the platform on January 19.

The SCOTUS issued a rapid decision [PDF] on the matter today, only a week after hearing oral arguments from representatives from TikTok, petitioners supporting the platform, and the federal government. The 27-page unanimous verdict doesn't mince words, concluding that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PFACAA) doesn't infringe upon the First Amendment rights of TikTok users.

As written, the act is about protecting Americans from Chinese data collection and has nothing to do with constraining free speech, SCOTUS said.

"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for ...