TikTok SCOTUS Live Blog: Court hears arguments on law that would ban the app

It is expected that the US Supreme Court will begin this process hear oral proceedings today at 10 a.m. ET in a closely watched case that could lead to this TikTok is banned in the USA a day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20th. WIRED journalists Makena Kelly, Zeyi Yang and Louise Matsakis are joining us live to bring you key updates from the courtroom and our analysis.

Last year congress passed a law That would force ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the app or face a ban in the US. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice plan to argue that the measure is necessary for mitigation national security risks provided by the app. TikTok will represent the law suppresses free expression of around 170 million Americans.

Here are some of the most pressing questions we’re considering: How will the justices interpret the unusual demand Trump made last month that pushes back the timeline of the case until he’s in power? Will the court be persuaded by the DOJ’s arguments about how China could potentially manipulate? TikTok’s algorithm to shape public opinion? How will the justices address constitutional issues surrounding a social media platform that reaches far beyond America’s borders?

Will the judges’ questions also provide clues as to how they will ultimately decide the case? We pay particular attention to Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who took this view previous case that foreign social media platforms do not have the same First Amendment protections as U.S. companies. If she raises the same point again, it could suggest that TikTok will lose its usually relatively moderate voice in cases involving free speech issues.