TikTok has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency injunction to halt the enforcement of a law that would effectively ban the app in the United States.
Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, which argue that the law requiring the company’s sale is unconstitutional. Following the ruling, TikTok announced it would appeal to the Supreme Court.
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The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was passed with bipartisan support in February. Lawmakers expressed concern that the Chinese government could force Bytedance, a Chinese company, to share user data and manipulate algorithms to influence U.S. public opinion.
In the court filing on Monday, TikTok argues that the government would not be harmed by an injunction because there is "no imminent threat to national security." It also says the injunction would allow the incoming Trump administration to state its position.
Content creators who rely on the app for income filed a similar plea with the court, claiming the law is in opposition to their right to free speech.
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TikTok is one of the most popular apps in the country. The company says it has 170 million monthly users.
If the Supreme Court does not step in, the law is slated to go into effect on Jan. 19. TikTok asked the court to inform them of a decision by Jan. 6.
