STORY: TikTok's fate will be in the hands of the United States Supreme Court on Friday.
That as the short-video app faces a looming ban in the country.
The case puts free speech rights against national security concerns over the popular app owned by China's ByteDance.
TikTok and ByteDance, as well as some users who post content on the app, have challenged a law that would compel its sale by Jan. 19th, or ban it in the U.S.
The law was passed by Congress with strong bipartisan support last year.
It was signed by outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden, whose administration is defending it in the case.
A lower court rejected the argument made by the law's challengers that it violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protection against government abridgment of free speech.
The Supreme Court's consideration of the case comes at a time of rising trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies.
President-elect Donald Trump opposes the ban.
The Supreme Court is due to weigh concerns about free speech rights, and the national security implications of a foreign-owned app which collects data of American users.
The Justice Department has said TikTok poses a grave threat to U.S. national security.
It sees a risk that China could use its immense trove of data on Americans for espionage or blackmail.
TikTok has a domestic user base of 170 million in the U.S., about half the population.
The platform's powerful algorithm feeds individual users short videos tailored to their liking.
TikTok argues the ban would hit its user base, advertisers, content creators and employee talent.
The challengers are supported by several free speech and libertarian advocacy groups.
While Trump has vowed to quote "save" the platform, many of his Republican allies support the ban.
