Supreme Court to release a decision on Friday, amid anticipation over possible TikTok ban

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it would release a decision on Friday, just days before a federal sell-or-ban law on the app TikTok is set to go into effect. 

The Supreme Court did not specify what decision would be released, but heard oral arguments in TikTok case last week, the Associated Press reported.

A federal law that requires TikTok's China-connected parent company ByteDance to divest its shares of the app or be banned from U.S. app stores will go into effect on Sunday.

President-elect Donald Trump requested that the law be delayed until after his inauguration on Monday, and has suggested that he could keep the app around after he takes office, even under its current ownership by a Chinese company. But the Supreme Court is weighing whether the Chinese-based app is protected under the First Amendment when it could also pose a national security concern. 

The law stems from concerns that the app could operate as an extension of the Chinese government. Attorney General Merrick Garland has even remarked that the app poses a threat to America's national security. But the company has strongly denied being "owned or controlled by any government or state-controlled entity."

Supreme Court justices appeared favorable to the law after the oral arguments, highlighting its focus on a foreign business and not an American company.

"The law is only targeted at this foreign corporation that doesn't have First Amendment rights," Justice Elena Kagan said. "Whatever effect it has, it has."

A lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance said TikTok will “go dark” on Sunday unless the justices delay the ban or strike down the law.

The Court's decision, regardless of which decision it is, will be posted on its website after 10 a.m. EST Friday.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.