TikTok loses its bid to pause the law that could ban it next month

A federal court has denied TikTok’s request for a temporary pause on a law that could result in the app being banned next month. The ruling, which came in response to an emergency court order filed by TikTok earlier this week, is the latest legal setback for the company as it seeks to avoid an outright ban on its app in the United States.

In its request to delay the law’s entry into force, TikTok indicated that it planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. The company’s lawyers also cited the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump may want to take a different approach given some of Trump’s past comments about the app. But in a brief order, a three-judge panel denied that request, writing that such a pause was “unwarranted.”

TikTok’s future now depends on the Supreme Court, although there is no guarantee the court will agree to hear the case. “As we have said previously, we plan to take this case to the Supreme Court, which has an established record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech,” the company said in a statement. “The voices of more than 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world will be silenced on January 19, 2025 unless the TikTok ban is ended.”