In a courtroom just blocks from the Capitol, TikTok will face a make-or-break moment on Monday morning. The social media giant, whose short-form videos have captivated 170 million Americans, will have a mere 15 minutes to convince a federal appeals court that it should not be forced into an existential choice: sell to an American company or face a nationwide ban.
The case stems from a law signed by President Biden in March. It's more than about funny dance videos– t's about whether the government can effectively force the sale of a massively popular platform based on its foreign ownership.
The three-judge panel hearing the case includes appointees from across the political spectrum, reflecting the bipartisan nature of concerns about TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, an Obama appointee known for his meticulous legal analysis, will be joined by Trump appointee Neomi Rao and Reagan appointee Douglas Ginsburg.
TikTok's lawyers will likely say that the law violates the First Amendment rights of both the company and its users. If it goes through, it will mean that 170 million Americans have to give up their favorite social media platform because of speculative concerns.
The Department of Justice completely disagrees. It says that national security trumps these concerns and that the Chinese government's ability to potentially access vast troves of American data through ByteDance represents an unacceptable risk.
The case has drawn intense interest from tech companies, civil liberties groups, and foreign policy experts. Amicus briefs filed with the court paint starkly different pictures of the stakes involved.
As the courtroom drama unfolds on Monday, millions of TikTok creators will be watching anxiously. For them, the platform isn't just entertainment—it's a livelihood and a community.
This case is as much about the future of U.S.-China relations as it is about TikTok. Whatever it decides, America is setting the rules of engagement for the next decade of technological competition.
For now, TikTokkers are hoping and praying that 15 minutes is enough to save both their jobs and favorite hobby.
CNN contributed to this article.