A US appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt by ByteDance to delay a mooted ban on its social media platform TikTok in the country, slated to take effect on 19 January.

TikTok filed an emergency injunction to delay the ban last week, but it was swiftly rejected by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals after deeming the request as “unwarranted”.

TikTok filed for the temporary injunction, claiming the ban breaches the First Amendment right to free speech, requesting time for the Supreme Court to review the case “in a more orderly fashion”.  

However, the court of appeals argued its motion complies with legislative conditions, labelling TikTok’s bid “in reality a suspension of an act, delaying the date selected by Congress to put its chosen policies into effect.”

The US ban was issued based on national security concerns about China’s influence on data collection and content moderation on the platform.

Following the rejection, TikTok reiterated its plans to take its case to the US Supreme Court in a statement on X, touting the court has an “established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech.”

As it currently stands, the ban will be put one day before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, providing the scope for potential policy shifts.