On Friday, 17 February, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States on national security grounds unless ByteDance sells the short-video app to a U.S.-certified buyer by Sunday, 19 January 2025. The ban also prohibits app stores from distributing TikTok to its over 170 million U.S. users.

Amnesty International argues the ban fails to address the endemic human rights risks and harms associated with the surveillance-based business models of major tech companies, and that the US authorities should introduce regulations that govern all tech platforms to protect everyone’s human rights in the digital age.

On Monday, 20 February, President Trump signed an executive order pausing TikTok’s ban for 75 days, granting immunity to TikTok's business partners, and aiming to address national security concerns through ownership changes and legal negotiations.