In a striking legal development, a federal appeals court has upheld a mid-January deadline, enforcing a U.S. law that demands TikTok be sold or face an imminent ban. This decision comes as TikTok’s legal team prepares to appeal to the Supreme Court, a move expected to probe new legal ground concerning social media and national security laws.

Amid these legal challenges, TikTok hopes for intervention from the President-elect, Donald Trump, who pledged to protect the popular app. The controversy centers around a statute requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to sell the app, citing national security threats of potential data surveillance by Beijing.

The Department of Justice has countered TikTok’s plea for enforcement delay, noting the appeals court decision aligns with their schedule for Supreme Court examination. If unresolved, TikTok warns of a shutdown by January 19, impacting over 170 million U.S. users.

(With inputs from agencies.)