WASHINGTON () The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Friday as TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, makes a final attempt to block an impeding ban on the social media platform set to take effect in nine days.

A rule, which was signed into law in April, requires TikTok to break ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance before Jan. 19 or it will be banned in the U.S.

The case asks the high court to weigh the First Amendment against serious national security concerns.

Critics warn this decision could go beyond losing favorite social media influencers, potentially shaping the future of free speech.

What’s at stake?

TikTok, with more than 170 million U.S. users, is at the center of a legal battle over First Amendment rights and national security.

Lawyers for ByteDance argue that Congress overstepped by passing a law requiring the company to sell the app to an approved buyer or shut down in the U.S. They claim the law violates users’ First Amendment rights since TikTok is a platform that allows users to share videos, views, and opinions.

Congress, however, asserts that this is not about free speech but national security, claiming that China could force ByteDance to disclose the personal data of millions of Americans.

In a court filing, the U.S. Department of Justice highlights China’s “well-documented history” of forcing companies, including TikTok, to comply with its government’s “directives and refrain from disclosing those actions.”

In response, ByteDance’s legal team claimed the law would allow Congress to ban them from operating TikTok “explicitly because they refused to censor views Congress” doesn’t like.

If SCOTUS upholds the ban, TikTok won’t immediately vanish from devices but will be removed from app stores. Users won’t receive updates and will gradually lose access as ByteDance winds down its support for the app.