The clock is ticking on TikTok—unless Trump steps in

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled on Friday that an upcoming ban on TikTok can proceed unless parent company ByteDance divests from Chinese government ownership.

The company argued that the impending ban violates its free speech rights, but the court ruled that the Department of Justice’s argument that the viral video company’s foreign ownership represents a national security threat trumps any free speech concerns.

“Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation,” wrote Judge Douglas Ginsburg on behalf of the three-judge panel who made the determination.

The legislation mandating the change in TikTok’s ownership was signed into law by President Joe Biden in April, following the passage of legislation that had bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

More than 170 million people have TikTok accounts within the United States, according to CEO Shou Chew.

Donald Trump will ultimately decide on TikTok’s survival in the U.S. After he is sworn in as president on Jan. 20, he will have the power to direct the Department of Justice’s next step.