TikTok warned of potential consequences if the U.S. Supreme Court allows the ban to proceed.

The lawyer for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance stated that the law prohibiting the popular app could set a precedent for restricting the activities of other international companies. This was reported by Reuters.

The law, which was discussed on January 10 by nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, requires ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19 or face a ban due to national security concerns. The companies are attempting to delay the enforcement of this law, arguing that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.

TikTok's lawyer, Noel Francisco, during the debates warned that if the law is enacted regarding TikTok, it could set a precedent for actions against other companies. “AMC theaters were previously owned by a Chinese company. Under this theory, Congress could order AMC to censor any movies that Congress dislikes or promote any movies that Congress wants,” he stated, citing the example of the Chinese company that once owned AMC theaters.

During the debates, the justices expressed concerns about the implications of this law for the First Amendment, but some indicated that they were leaning toward supporting the law.

It was previously reported that the U.S. Supreme Court justices are likely to support the ban on TikTok.