A federal appellate court has turned down TikTok’s request for the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of laws that might restrict the app in the United States. However, remarks from President-elect Donald Trump leave the app’s future uncertain.

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed a plea from TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to temporarily pause legislation that would restrict the app if ByteDance doesn’t offload it by January 19, 2025.

TikTok and ByteDance filed their emergency request for the Supreme Court’s review on December 9. This request followed earlier indications of support for the legislation from the federal appeals court.

“We intend to take this matter to the Supreme Court, which has a long-standing record of protecting the free speech rights of Americans,” a TikTok spokesperson shared with YSL News on Monday. “Over 170 million American voices and those from around the world risk being silenced by January 19, 2025, unless the TikTok ban is stopped.”

What are Trump’s views on a possible TikTok ban?

Despite having previously tried to limit the platform during his first term, Trump indicated on Monday that he has a “warm spot” for TikTok, believing it aided his appeal to younger voters in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

“TikTok made an impression, and we are reviewing it,” Trump noted. “I have a bit of a warm spot in my heart for it, to be honest.”

Is TikTok on the brink of a ban?

Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which President Joe Biden signed earlier this year, TikTok will be prohibited from being distributed in the U.S. if ByteDance fails to sell the app by January 19, 2025. This means the app would be removed from stores like the Apple App Store and Google Play, and internet service providers will be obligated to block access on U.S. web browsers.

While users with TikTok already installed can continue using it, the ban on new downloads would prevent future software updates from being available.

If ByteDance successfully sells TikTok before the January deadline, the app will continue to operate in the U.S.

Why might TikTok face a ban in the US?

Numerous government officials have considered TikTok a potential national security risk for years, concerned that the Beijing-based ByteDance may possess access to American user data and share it with Chinese intelligence services.

In 2019, then-President Trump declared a national emergency, asserting that “foreign adversaries” were “exploiting weaknesses in information and communications technology,” according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s December 6 ruling. His response included banning transactions with the company.

In 2021, President Biden initiated a new executive order, stating that ByteDance “remains a threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” as outlined in the December 6 federal appeals court ruling. In 2022, Biden also signed legislation restricting TikTok’s use on government devices.

What exactly is TikTok?

TikTok is a social media platform famous for its short videos. Users can create, share, and engage with video content through the app. It has gained massive popularity due to its engaging scrolling algorithm, allowing users to post videos ranging from three seconds to 10 minutes. Users can embellish their videos with filters, backgrounds, music, and stickers.