A U.S. ban of TikTok began to take effect on Sunday, capping a high-stakes battle that pitted the federal government against one of the nation's most popular social media platforms.
Congress passed the measure last spring with overwhelming bipartisan support, granting TikTok a 270-day window to cut its ties with China-based parent company ByteDance or face a ban.
Instead of initiating a sale, however, TikTok pursued a legal challenge on First Amendment grounds that ended in failure at the Supreme Court on Friday.
The unanimous ruling from the nation's highest court found merit in national security concerns regarding potential user data collection or content manipulation that the Chinese government might undertake.
The Future of TikTok
TikTok's quality is expected to worsen as restrictions on app stores and hosting companies come into effect. Users may experience video-loading delays and performance glitches.
Trump has vowed to reverse the ban but faces legal challenges in doing so. The Justice Department may opt against enforcement, but app providers like Apple and Google could still be subject to fines.
Congressional Action
Congress may take up the ban a second time for a potential repeal. However, the outcome of such a move remains uncertain, especially with changing political dynamics.
