TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains in jeopardy after the popular social video app on Friday lost a major court battle as it tries to prevent its banishment.
TikTok had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to declare unconstitutional a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban in the country. Legislators backing the law said a ban or sale was necessary to address national security concerns posed by the app’s ties to China.
The law, signed by President Biden, is set to go into effect Jan. 19.
TikTok had said in its lawsuit that the law violated its 1st Amendment rights to free speech. About 170 million Americans use the video app.
“On the merits, we reject each of the petitioners’ constitutional claims,” the judges said in their decision issued Friday.
Legal experts said they anticipate TikTok will appeal its case to the Supreme Court.
President-elect Donald Trump had campaigned on supporting TikTok.
“We’re not doing anything with TikTok,” he said on a video posted on social media earlier this year.
Editorial library director Cary Schneider contributed to this report.