The Supreme Court seems likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company.

The Supreme Court seemed inclined on Friday to uphold a law that would force a sale or ban the popular short-video app TikTok in the United States by Jan. 19, with the justices focusing on the national security concerns about China that prompted the crackdown.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Friday morning in a case challenging a ban of TikTok in the United States if it is not sold by its owner, ByteDance, which is based in China. TikTok has repeatedly claimed that the law requiring the ban is a violation of First Amendment rights.