ByteDance has so far rebuffed the idea of selling TikTok. But the lawyer for the US government told the Supreme Court that a ban might be just the “jolt” needed to persuade it to consider the idea, noting that restrictions could be lifted once a deal materialises.

Now that the US Supreme Court has decided that a law banning TikTok is constitutional, the platform is set to shut down in the US on 19 January – but Trump could still save it

Congress labeled the app’s Chinese ownership a national security risk and passed a law that would ban the social media platform unless it was sold. TikTok and creators say that violates their free speech rights.