If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that's probably because it has, at least if you're measuring via internet time. What's now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical.ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to US officials.
On April 24, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok parent ByteDance to sell to a US owner within a year or to shut down. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit against the US, claiming the security concerns were overblown and the law should be struck down because it violates the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Jan 19 unless it's sold by ByteDance.
Here's how TikTok came to this juncture:
-- Mar