Breaking: TikTok can be banned, US Supreme Court rules

Breaking: TikTok can be banned, US Supreme Court rules

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WIRED Special Edition

01.17.25

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Breaking news: The US Supreme Court upheld a law that could ban TikTok this Sunday in a new opinion released today.

“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the opinion reads. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”

TikTok recently said it would shut down the app on Sunday, the deadline for an extension.

A content creator wears a %22Keep TikTok%22 button outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. The future of the wildly popular social media platform TikTok rides on a US Supreme Court clash that pits national security against free speech - and one president against another.

TikTok Can Be Banned, US Supreme Court Rules

BY MAKENA KELLY | 3-MINUTE READ

“Without doubt, the remedy Congress and the President chose here is dramatic,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a concurring opinion. “Whether this law will succeed in achieving its ends, I do not know.”

How the US TikTok Ban Would Actually Work

BY MATT BURGESS | 6-MINUTE READ

The fate of TikTok now rests in the hands of the US Supreme Court. If a law banning the social video app this month is upheld, it won’t disappear from your phone—but it will get messy fast.

gloved hands holding a %22keep tiktok%22 sign

The TikTok Ban Would Be Social Media’s First Extinction-Level Event

BY JASON PARHAM | 5-MINUTE READ

TikTok transformed everyday users into influencers and made entrepreneurs rich via its Shop feature. With the US ban looming, they could lose everything—and many don’t know where to go next.

Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, and Phone

With a TikTok Ban Looming, Users Flee to Chinese App ‘Red Note’

BY ZEYI YANG | 5-MINUTE READ

Some say they joined Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book,” to spite the US government after a ban on TikTok became more likely.

Signage at the Xiaohongshu Technology Co. headquarters in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Xiaohongshu part Instagram, part Pinterest has boomed in recent years as a combination of top influencers, its artificial intelligence technology and soft marketing tactics make it a lifestyle bible for many of China's high-income earners.

Xiaohongshu Scrambles to Hire English-Speaking Content Moderators

BY ZEYI YANG | 3-MINUTE READ

Job listings posted in China this week indicate that Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, is struggling to handle an influx of new users joining the platform from TikTok.

How to Download All of Your TikTok Videos

BY BOONE ASHWORTH AND REECE ROGERS | 4-MINUTE READ

US lawmakers are considering banning the social video app. Whether that happens or not, it’s a good idea to back up all the TikTok clips that are worth saving.

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