BOSTON — The Supreme Court is fast-tracking arguments over the law that could ban TikTok in the United States if the Chinese-owned social media platform isn’t sold to a U.S. company.
Those arguments will take place on January 10th before a January 19th deadline, one day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The case is pitting the Constitution’s protection of free speech against the government’s national security concerns.
The clock is now ticking for Massachusetts content creators who are worried they’ll soon be stripped of their livelihoods.
“It’s marketers. It’s social media managers. It’s people in hospitality and business owners. It’s going to be a domino effect of who this really hurts,” said Shell Rodriguez, social media manager with Xenia Greek Hospitality.
Rodriguez said small businesses thrive on TikTok thanks to an algorithm that evaluates each video independently.
“You can really get a viral video way easier on this platform compared to Facebook or Instagram or YouTube, " she said. “With the ban, you’re really taking away the magic of getting your brand out there.”
The United States represents TikTok’s biggest market with over 170 million users on the platform.
“95 percent of my business comes from TikTok,” said Natick resident Kenneth Cadieux. “TikTok is the lifeblood of my business, and if it goes away, that business disappears.”
Cadieux also calls TikTok ‘the nucleus of his business’.
He’s sold more than 25,000 copies of his cookbook called “Bite Sized” after losing more than 500 pounds following weight loss surgery.
“To dictate what apps we’re allowed to have on our phone is a gross overreach,” he said. “You ban TikTok today, what gets banned tomorrow?”
Lawmakers believe TikTok raises national security concerns because of the span of user data available and the risk that the Chinese government could use the app to spread disinformation.
“It answers not to the United States Congress, not to the American public but to the Chinese communist party,” said Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss.
Rep. Auchincloss helped draft the divestment law that the Supreme Court will be examining.
“The bill quite simply says TikTok can remain open, but TikTok better obey U.S. law,” he said. “If the Supreme Court does its job, we should have new owners of TikTok by 2025.”
President-elect Trump, who unsuccessfully attempted to ban TikTok during his first term in 2020, has changed his stance.
He’s promised to try and save the app from its potential ban after taking office on January 20th.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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