TikTok Ban Upheld by US Supreme Court Amid Free Speech Concerns

By Staff, Agencies

The US Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday that a bill banning TikTok does not violate the Constitution.

The decision followed a lawsuit by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which argued that the ban infringed on the right to free speech protected under the First Amendment.

The legislation requires ByteDance to sell the platform by Sunday or face a total ban in the United States.

Proponents of the bill cited national security concerns, but critics, including some political organizations, pointed to the platform's significant role in amplifying pro-Palestinian sentiment as a contributing factor.

In a discussion at the Sedona Forum, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Republican Senator Mitt Romney voiced apprehensions over TikTok's influence.

Senator Romney noted TikTok's disproportionate number of pro-Palestinian posts compared to other platforms, suggesting this played a role in garnering support for the ban.

Since its introduction in 2016, TikTok has grown exponentially, amassing over 100 million American users by 2020.

Analysts attribute its popularity partly to perceived censorship on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where criticism of the apartheid “Israeli” entity frequently faces restrictions.