US President-elect Trump has asked the country's highest court to suspend a law that could lead to a ban on Chinese short-form video app TikTok.
A lawyer told the Supreme Court that the pause would give the Trump administration time to find a “political solution.”
The law, signed by outgoing President Joe Biden, gives TikTok's Chinese parent company until January 19 to spin off TikTok in the United States or the app will be banned over national security concerns.
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TikTok and ByteDance say their data is safe And separation is impossiblehas moved the Supreme Court to strike down the law. Arguments in the case are scheduled to begin on January 10.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to support TikTok Since his pre-election campaignthe app helped him gather a group of young supporters.
just last weekTrump said it might be worth keeping TikTok in the United States at least for a while. His attorney, nominee D John Sauer for U.S. Solicitor General, reiterated those comments to the Supreme Court.
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying issues in this dispute,” Sauer said.
“Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider delaying the January 19, 2025 divestment deadline set forth in the Act while considering the merits of the case, thereby allowing President Trump's incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political solution to the issues involved .
soft spot
Trump's support for TikTok is a reversal from 2020, when he sought to block the app in the United States and force its sale to an American company because of its Chinese ownership.
This illustrates TikTok's significant efforts to make progress with Trump and his team during the presidential campaign.
Earlier this month, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Meeting with Trump He found the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago club just hours after he said he had a “good feeling” about the app.
The president-elect also said he received billions of views on social media platforms during his presidential campaign.
TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. If the Supreme Court does not rule in its favor and defunding occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the United States the day before Trump takes office.
Free speech concerns
The app also previously said the U.S. Department of Justice misrepresented its relationship with China.
The company stated that its content recommendation engine and user data are stored on cloud servers operated by Oracle in the United States, and content review decisions affecting U.S. users are also made in the United States.
It argued that the U.S. government clearly targeted it, even though the law violated the country's free speech laws.
free speech advocate reiterated these concerns A separate filing was made to the Supreme Court on Friday.
They said the “divest or ban” law could limit Americans' access to foreign media and violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
They added that the law “recalls practices long associated with authoritarian governments”.
- Vishakha Saxena Additional Editor, Reuters
Also read:
Can Donald Trump exempt TikTok from US ban?
ByteDance “prefers to shut down TikTok in the US” if legal fight fails
The United States says the forced sale of TikTok is for security rather than free speech
'China won't allow it': TikTok compares spinoff to chip ban
Donald Trump may try to block US ban on TikTok – WaPo
Trump says he will ‘never ban TikTok’ if elected – New York Post
TikTok comes under U.S. legal crackdown for 'harmful' impact on children
U.S. polls show that nearly half of Generation Z wish TikTok had never been invented
EU MP: TikTok CEO 'must explain role in Romanian polls' – Politico
Canada orders TikTok to close offices in country – Reuters
