“I cannot profess the kind of certainty I would like to have about the arguments and record before us,” writes Justice Gorsuch.
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ByteDance,theChineseparentcompanyofthepopularsocialmediaappTikTok,wasdealtadefeatbytheSupremeCourtonFriday.Thejusticesruled9–0thataforcedsaleofTikTokcanproceed.IfByteDancedoesnotagreetoselltheapptoanAmericanbuyerbySunday,TikTokwillbebannedonU.S.smartphones.
ThejusticesupheldCongress’sforcedsaleofTikTok,writingintheirpercuriamopinionthatthelawisconstitutionalbecauseitnarrowlyaddressesanationalsecurityconcern—theChinesegovernment’sacquisitionofAmericanusers’data—inaspeech-neutralway.Evenso,thedecisionexpressessomeconcernsaboutwhetherthisisactuallythecase,repeatedlynotingthattheCourthadjustalimitedtimeframetoconsiderthecase,whichinvolvestheapplicationofcherishedFirstAmendmentnormstonewtechnologies.
“AsJusticeFrankfurteradvised80yearsagoinconsideringtheapplicationofestablishedlegalrulestothe‘totallynewproblems’raisedbytheairp