TikTok v. Garland, No. 24-656 [Arg: 1.10.2025]

The Sidebar: Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court case, TikTok, Inc., et al. v. Merrick B. Garland, and a consolidated case. The arguments center on the constitutionality of a law mandating TikTok's divestiture from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, due to national security concerns. The petitioners argue the law violates TikTok's First Amendment rights, while the respondent, the Attorney General, contends the law addresses compelling national security interests related to data security and covert content manipulation. The justices' questions explore various aspects of First Amendment jurisprudence, the feasibility of divestiture, and the government's justifications. The core issue debated is whether the law's restriction on TikTok's operations constitutes an impermissible infringement on free speech.