Entertainment
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban: 5 essential reads on the case and its consequences
The U.S. Supreme Court mandated TikTok’s sale, citing national security risks tied to its Chinese ownership. Controversies include user data exploitation and implications for free speech and cybersecurity.
Eric Smalley, The Conversation and Matt Williams, The Conversation
The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 17, 2025, upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video app by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban on the app. In a unanimous decision, the court rejected TikTok’s claim that the law violates its First Amendment rights.
The court’s ruling is the latest development in a lengthy saga over the fate of an app that is widely popular, especially among young Americans, but that many politicians in Washington say is a security risk.
The ruling is unlikely to be the end of the story. President Joe Biden said that he will not enforce the law in the waning hours of his administration. President-elect Donald Trump said he will reverse the ban and is reportedly considering an executive order to do so.
But why is TikTok controversial? Are the claims of it being a national security risk valid? And what will the case mean for free speech? The Conversation’s contributors have been on hand to answer these questions.
1. An agent of the Chinese state?
Politicians who wanted to ban TikTok, or at least sever its links to China, fear that the app provides a way for the Chinese Communist Party to influence Americans or use their data for malicious purposes. But how much influence does the Chinese government have on TikTok? That question is addressed by Shaomin Li, a scholar of China’s political economy and business at Old Dominion University.
Li explains that the relationship between TikTok, ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party is nuanced – it isn’t simply a matter of officials in Beijing telling ByteDance to jump and the parent company dictating how high its subsidiary will leap. Rather, as with all companies in China, employees are under certain obligations when it comes to advancing national interests. In China, private enterprises, such as ByteDance, operate as joint ventures with the state.
“Regardless of whether ByteDance has formal ties with the party, there will be the tacit understanding that the management is working for two bosses: the investors of the company and, more importantly, their political overseers that represent the party,” Li writes. “But most importantly, when the interests of the two bosses conflict, the party trumps.”
2. Exploiting user data
The risks TikTok poses to U.S. users are similar to the risks posed by many popular apps, principally that the app collects data about you. That data, which includes contact information and website tracking, plus all data you post and messages you send through the app, is available to use or misuse by ByteDance and any other entity that has or gains access to it.
Iowa State University cybersecurity researcher Doug Jacobson writes that U.S. officials and lawmakers are concerned that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok user data to spy on U.S. citizens. Government hackers could use the TikTok data to trick users into revealing more personal information.
But if the goal is to counter Chinese hackers, banning TikTok is likely to prove too little, too late. “By some estimates, the Chinese government has already collected personal information on at least 80% of the U.S. population via various means,” Jacobson writes. “The Chinese government – along with anyone else with money – also has access to the large market for personal data.”
3. The security risks of a ban
Banning TikTok could also make U.S. users more vulnerable to hackers of all stripes. Rochester Institute of Technology computer security expert Robert Olson writes that many of the 170 million U.S. TikTok users could try to get around a ban on the app, with negative consequences for their digital safety.
If TikTok ends up banned from Apple’s and Google’s app stores, users could try to access the app elsewhere via sideloading. This practice of getting around the Apple and Google app stores leaves users vulnerable to malware posing as the TikTok app. TikTok users might also be motivated to circumvent Apple and Google security controls in order to keep the app installed, a move that would make users’ phones more vulnerable.
“I find it unlikely that a TikTok ban (is) technologically enforceable,” Olson writes. “This … legislation – aimed at improving cybersecurity – could motivate users to engage in riskier digital behavior.”
4. First Amendment concerns
In its legal challenge to the U.S. government, ByteDance claimed the government is violating its First Amendment rights. Technology law scholars Anupam Chander of Georgetown University and Gautam Hans of Cornell University write that ByteDance had grounds for its claim, and that the implications go beyond this case.
TikTok is a publisher – an online publisher of users’ videos. Forcing ByteDance to divest TikTok is a form of prior restraint – the government preventing speech before it occurs, Chander and Hans write.
“By forcing the sale of TikTok to an entity without ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Congress’ intent with the law is to change the nature of the platform,” they write. “That kind of government action implicates the core concerns that the First Amendment was designed to protect against: government interference in the speech of private parties.”
5. What about the others?
Security and legal issues aside, the forced sale to a U.S.-based company or ban of TikTok in the United States is a questionable approach to solving the problems the law aims to address: potential Chinese government influence in the U.S., harm to teens and data privacy violations, writes Arizona State media scholar Sarah Florini.
The Chinese government – and other U.S. adversaries – have long used social media apps owned by U.S. companies to attempt to influence American public opinion. TikTok is hardly alone in posing harm to teens, as the Facebook whistleblower case amply demonstrated. And vast amounts of Americans’ personal data are already available to any buyer on the open and black markets.
“Concerns about TikTok are not unfounded, but they are also not unique. Each threat posed by TikTok has also been posed by U.S.-based social media for over a decade,” Florini writes.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on Sept. 16, 2024.
Eric Smalley, Science + Technology Editor, The Conversation and Matt Williams, Senior International Editor, The Conversation
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jay Mohr’s long-running podcast is expanding to FAST television through an exclusive LG Channels launch in the U.S. and Canada.
Cineverse has announced the launch of Mohr Stories, a new free ad-supported streaming television channel built around comedian Jay Mohr’s long-running podcast. Unveiled during LG Electronics and LG Ad Solutions’ 2026 IAB NewFronts presentation, the channel will be available exclusively through LG Channels on LG TVs in the United States and Canada.
The new channel will feature weekly episodes alongside more than 100 hours of library content, giving the show a larger footprint in the growing FAST market. Hosted by Mohr, the series includes conversations with guests from comedy, film, sports, music, and television, including Ron Funches, Jay Leno, Joe Mantegna, Patton Oswalt, Kevin Pollak, Andy Richter, George Wallace, Flavor Flav, Michael Eric Dyson, Seth Rollins, Gene Simmons, Billy Gibbons, Byron Scott, and Jeanie Buss.
The launch is notable not only because of the talent involved, but because it reflects a broader shift in how podcast brands are being distributed. What once lived primarily as an audio product is now being packaged as a 24/7 streaming destination, built for connected TV audiences and ad-supported discovery.
Cineverse said Mohr Stories will continue to be available as a podcast through the WITZ Podcast Network, a partnership between Cineverse and The Stand Group. The company also pointed to strong audience momentum after the show expanded into video, saying consumption hours on Spotify rose 50% month over month and downloads increased 34% quarter over quarter.
That growth aligns with wider audience behavior. In the U.S., more than 150 million people listen to podcasts every month, and an increasing share of those consumers are also watching podcast content on video platforms. As those habits continue to evolve, media companies are looking for ways to extend proven shows beyond their original format.
For LG Channels, the addition of Mohr Stories strengthens a FAST lineup built around free, accessible programming across a wide range of genres. For Cineverse, it underscores a strategy centered on expanding the reach and value of entertainment properties across multiple platforms.
The result is more than a new celebrity-led channel. It is another example of how streaming, podcasting, and digital video are converging into a more flexible content ecosystem—one where recognizable brands can move fluidly from audio feeds to connected television.
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Cineverse Partners With VA Media to Expand YouTube Monetization Strategy
Cineverse has announced a strategic partnership with VA Media to accelerate growth and digital monetization across its expanding portfolio of fandom-focused YouTube channels.
The agreement will bring a YouTube-first strategy to Cineverse’s channel network, including longform and shortform content planning, channel optimization, financial modeling, and broader monetization support. The partnership will begin with Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, which Cineverse identified as its top revenue-generating YouTube channel.
Cineverse said its owned or operated YouTube channels currently account for more than 10 million subscribers and over 200 million video views. The company’s digital portfolio spans genres including horror, anime, romance, indie film, Asian cinema, and other fandom-driven categories.
VA Media, which specializes in YouTube strategy and social video monetization, will work with Cineverse to improve discoverability, strengthen channel performance, and unlock new revenue opportunities across YouTube and adjacent platforms.
The partnership reflects the growing role of YouTube as a core distribution and monetization channel for premium entertainment content.
For more information, visit Cineverse.
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STM Daily News’ Entertainment section delivers the latest on movies, television, music, pop culture, events, and industry buzz. From breaking news and trending stories to feature coverage and community-centered entertainment reporting, it keeps readers connected to what’s happening on screen, on stage, and beyond.
McDonald’s is blending fast food, fandom and Korean-inspired flavors in a new collaboration with Netflix tied to the hit film KPop Demon Hunters. Beginning March 31, the chain will roll out two limited-time adult meals inspired by the movie’s rival groups, HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys, along with collectible photocards and app-based fan experiences. The promotion will be available at participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide.
McDonald’s KPop Demon Hunters meals
The campaign introduces two themed meals built around the film’s central rivalry. The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal includes a Spicy Saja McMuffin, hash browns and a small soft drink, while the HUNTR/X Meal features a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium soft drink, Ramyeon McShaker Fries, Hunter Sauce and Demon Sauce. McDonald’s said the menu was inspired in part by flavors from its South Korea restaurants, aiming to connect fans to the movie through food as well as pop culture.
The promotion also includes collectible card packs with each meal. Customers will receive a photocard featuring either HUNTR/X or the Saja Boys, plus a Derpy access card that can be scanned and entered in the McDonald’s app by April 26 to unlock early access to exclusive content and a special reveal tied to the “Battle for the Fans.” A new Derpy McFlurry, made with vanilla soft serve, berry popping pearls and wild berry sauce, will also be sold separately during the promotion.
McDonald’s and Netflix both described the collaboration as a way to bring fans deeper into the world of KPop Demon Hunters through menu items and interactive experiences. For STM Daily News readers in the food and drink section, the release highlights how major brands are increasingly turning entertainment partnerships into immersive dining promotions that combine limited-time flavors, collectible merchandise and digital engagement.
