Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban: Must Sell to US Company by January 2027

The Supreme Court just handed down what might be the most consequential tech ruling in a generation. In a 7-2 decision, the Court upheld the law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations by January 2027 — or the app goes dark for 170 million Americans.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Roberts rejected ByteDance's First Amendment claims, ruling that the government's national security interest in preventing a foreign adversary from accessing data on 170 million Americans outweighs TikTok's free speech protections. Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented.

"The Government's evidence that TikTok poses a genuine national security threat is substantial and convincing. While we recognize the impact on speech interests, the Constitution does not require waiting until a threat materializes."

— Chief Justice Roberts

ByteDance is already in talks with multiple potential buyers. Without the core algorithm — the secret sauce that makes TikTok so addictive — the platform is just another video app. That makes valuation complicated. For creators who built their livelihoods on the platform, the uncertainty is agonizing.