Tech

TikTok heads to court to fight for its life

Tiktok CEO Shou Chew testifying before congress
TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified before Congress in January. The Washington Post
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The TikTok ban is having its day in court.

TikTok is headed to federal court in Washington on Monday to fight a law that would ban it nationwide or force its sale to a US owner.

Under a law signed by President Joe Biden in April as part of a foreign-aid package, the TikTok ban would go into effect in January. Leading up to Monday's hearing, there's been relative silence about the app's fate, both inside and outside the company.

State and federal US politicians have argued that China could compel TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to share US user data with the Chinese Communist Party or use the app for an influence campaign.

TikTok has repeatedly denied the claims and said there's no evidence to support them.

In May, TikTok sued to stop the ban, arguing it violated users' First Amendment rights.

The New York Times reported that on Monday, after arguments are heard, a three-judge panel would ask questions to both sides, which may suggest which way the jurists are leaning.

A decision could arrive as early as November, the Times said — though the Supreme Court is likely to decide whether it will hear the case before the January ban date.

Meanwhile, a recent Pew Research Center survey found American attitudes toward banning TikTok had cooled across party lines.

In March 2023, half of US adults in the poll said they supported a ban. In a Pew survey from July 15 to August 4, just 32% of respondents said they supported the law.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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Geoff Weiss
Geoff Weiss is a senior reporter on Business Insider’s tech team, where he covers Nvidia and AI infrastructure. His reporting focuses on the business of AI compute, emerging startups, and the people and strategies shaping the industry.Previously, Geoff was on the media desk, covering YouTube and Netflix, and themes like the intersection of Hollywood and the creator economy. His work on Netflix’s video podcasting ambitions and Mr Beast’s lessons for Hollywood won second and first prize, respectively, at the 2025 LA Press Club Awards.Prior to joining Business Insider, Geoff was the senior editor of Tubefilter and a staff writer at Entrepreneur. He graduated from New York University with a degree in English Literature.He can be reached at gweiss@bjinnox.com, on Signal @geoffweiss.25, and on LinkedIn. Have a tip? Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.