Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 over whether the law to force a sale of TikTok from its parent company or face a ban is constitutional.
Why it matters: TikTok is racing against the clock with a Jan. 19 ban looming.
Driving the news: The court on Wednesday announced it allotted 2 hours for oral arguments on Jan. 10.
- TikTok and the Department of Justice must address whether the law violates the First Amendment.
- An appeals court earlier this month decided the law does not violate the First Amendment and is necessary for national security.
Our thought bubble: If the ban takes effect, users are likely to feel that impact more slowly.
- Those who don't have the app downloaded would not be able to get it as app stores and cloud service providers would be required to stop hosting the app or face penalties.
- People who already have the app would not be able to update it and it would likely slowly deteriorate.
- The app may also continue to be accessible to Americans using a VPN.
Companies like Apple and Oracle will have to determine if it's worth it to keep hosting TikTok and potentially face $5,000 civil penalties for each user still on the app.
President-elect Trump has flip-flopped on whether or not he supports a ban.
- The president-elect on Monday met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and at a wide-ranging press conference that morning he told reporters that "you know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok."
- The most legal certainty for companies would come with congressional repeal of the law, which Trump could try to pressure the Republican-controlled Congress to do.
- Trump could also ask the attorney general not to enforce the law.
