The full scope of how the ban would impact TikTok’s user functions is still unclear, as a lawyer arguing on behalf of the app said it would go dark by Jan. 19.

At the Supreme Court argument, the justices homed in on one key question: Can Congress ban a speech platform to stop the Chinese government from manipulating it?

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard last-minute arguments about the ban, with TikTok angling for an intervention or, at least, a temporary ruling to buy it a bit more time. They didn’t go especially well for TikTok — even justices who sounded sympathetic to the company’s arguments about free speech seemed satisfied by the government’s core national security argument.

The court is hearing oral arguments on TikTok’s bid to block a law that would lead to its ban in the U.S. starting Jan. 19 if it isn’t sold by its Chinese owner.

Congress, which passed the TikTok law with bipartisan support, says China’s influence over the platform poses a national security threat. The Department of Justice has raised concerns as well, including the potential collection of personal data from the app’s millions of American users and the potential “ covert manipulation ” of its content.

The justices, who asked tough questions of both sides, showed skepticism toward arguments by lawyers for TikTok and its users.

TikTok transformed everyday users into influencers and made entrepreneurs rich via its Shop feature. With the US ban looming, they could lose everything—and many don’t know where to go next.

A majority of the justices appeared more concerned about the national security implications of the popular app’s Chinese ownership than about the restrictions on free speech the law would impose.

The Supreme Court appeal is Tiktok's last chance to stop a ban from happening through litigation. Here's what happened.

TikTok has just ten days until it faces a possible ban in the US. If the Supreme Court declines to halt the law before January 19th, and TikTok isn’t spun off from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, companies like Apple and Google will be forced to stop maintaining the app in their app stores or letting it push updates.

The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company. Hearing arguments in a momentous clash of free speech and national security concerns,