TikTok appeals to Supreme Court to halt impending ban before it's enforced.

On Friday morning, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether TikTok must divest from its Chinese parent company or be banned in the US, in a closely watched case that balances national security concerns with free speech protections.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was passed by Congress in April, requires TikTok to either divest from its parent company, ByteDance, within nine months or be removed from U.S. app stores and hosting services.

TikTok's lawyers will argue that the law requiring either divestiture or a ban is a violation of First Amendment protections and that lawmakers failed to consider less-restrictive alternatives before imposing an outright ban.

The Biden administration contends that the law targets the company's control of the app, which attorneys for the administration argue could pose "grave national security threats" to Americans rather than its content.

The administration's lawyers will argue that Congress did not impose any restrictions on speech, based on viewpoint or content, and therefore fails to meet the criteria for free speech violations under the First Amendment.

The decision of the court could significantly affect the approximately 170 million individuals who utilize the app.

In December, the justices agreed to an expedited hearing and will have only nine days to make a ruling before the ban goes into effect on January 19.

The oral arguments will commence at 10 a.m. and you can stay tuned for live updates on the proceedings.