In Washington, DC, the US Supreme Court is deliberating on a case that could lead to a ban on TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests from the app. The case, TikTok vs Garland, involves concerns about national security risks posed by the app. Chief Justice John Roberts questioned TikTok's intelligence ties, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh highlighted fears of data misuse. Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted the law requires divestment, not a shutdown. Justice Samuel Alito suggested the ban's impact might be temporary, and Justice Elena Kagan stated that free speech protections don't apply to foreign entities. TikTok's lawyers argued for less restrictive measures, while US Solicitor General Elizabeth Preloger emphasized the need to free TikTok from foreign control. President-elect Donald Trump, who previously sought a ban, now wants to save the app. The Supreme Court may issue a temporary stay to allow further negotiations. The law, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, targets foreign platforms collecting American data. If enforced, US app stores would be barred from offering TikTok. Several countries have already restricted the app.
The US Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It makes important decisions about laws and can decide if something is against the US Constitution.
TikTok is a popular app where people can create and share short videos. Many people use it to dance, sing, or show their talents.
A ban means stopping something from being used or done. In this case, it means stopping people in the US from using TikTok.
ByteDance is a company from China that owns TikTok. They are responsible for running and managing the app.
National security concerns are worries about the safety and protection of a country. In this case, the US is worried that TikTok might misuse data or be influenced by foreign countries.
Divests means to sell off or get rid of something. Here, it means ByteDance might have to sell TikTok to another company.
President-elect Trump refers to Donald Trump when he was about to become the President of the United States. He had opinions about TikTok and its use in the US.
A temporary stay is a pause or delay in a decision. It means the court might wait before making a final decision about banning TikTok.
App stores are online places where people can download apps for their phones or tablets. If TikTok is banned, it won't be available in these stores in the US.
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