TikTok could be banned in America from this weekend

America's highest court has ruled that a TikTok ban in America can go ahead from this weekend.

Last year, politicians in the US passed a law ordering the app's Chinese owners, Bytedance, to sell it to a US company or face a ban because they say are worried about US users' data being given to China.

ByteDance deny this does, or would, happen and challenged the decision - but the US Supreme Court have now rejected the appeal and the app is set to be banned.

The new law is due to begin on Sunday but President Trump, who comes to power on Monday, has already said he doesn't want it banned and wants to find a solution.

So what happens next?

Will TikTok still work in the UK?

TikTok is one of the world's most popular social media apps.

More than a billion people all around the globe use it every month for funny videos, dance crazes, songs and even news.

Laws in the US don't affect how people can use their phones in the UK, and none of what has happened in America will see the app banned here, unless the UK government decides to follow a similar path, which it hasn't suggested it will do.

So TikTok will still work in the UK, and users will still be able to view videos and post them.

However, if the app does stop working in America - or if US TikTokers decide to stop using it, or move to a different app - it could lead fans here to see less content from their favourite stars.

What will happen next?

It's not entirely clear what will happen next and if, or how, the law will be enforced.

Current US President, Joe Biden, has said he will leave it up to the new government and next US President Donald Trump - who takes over on Monday 20 January - to decide.

BBC Tech reporters Tom Gerken and Liv McMahon say the most likely way the US would enforce the ban is to order app stores there to make it unavailable for download in that region.

But TikTok's lawyer also suggested the company might make the app "go dark" or be taken down in the US completely, if the ban was upheld.

After the Supreme Court's decision was announced, the US Justice Department said that applying the law will be "a process that plays out over time" which suggests nothing will happen immediately.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he's against banning TikTok and has called for a solution to be found, however he also added: "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. "

"My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation."

Have other countries banned Tiktok?

America is not the first country to look at banning TikTok.

In 2020, India banned a number of Chinese apps, including TikTok and the popular messaging app WeChat.

India's government claimed these apps were using data illegally, and secretly collecting information from people's phones when they download the apps.

At the time, it said letting its citizens use these apps was a threat to India's national security.

After the ban was announced, the head of TikTok in India, Nikhil Gandhi, released a statement challenging the Indian government's accusation of TikTok misusing data.

"TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government," he said.