President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay implementing a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to a U.S. company or face a ban. The law is set to take effect on January 19, 2025, just one day before Trump’s inauguration. Trump argues his administration should have the chance to pursue a political resolution.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 10. If the court upholds the law and no divestment occurs, TikTok, with 170 million U.S. users, could be banned. ByteDance has challenged the legislation, claiming its U.S. operations, including data storage and moderation, are independent of Chinese influence.
Trump’s position marks a reversal from 2020 when he pushed to ban TikTok over national security concerns. His lawyer, D. John Sauer, said Trump takes no position on the case’s merits but wants the deadline delayed to explore alternatives.
During his campaign, Trump praised TikTok, citing its role in reaching billions of viewers. He recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and expressed support for the app’s continued U.S. operations, at least temporarily.
The Justice Department has defended the law, citing TikTok’s alleged ties to the Chinese government as a security risk. Meanwhile, free speech advocates have criticized the legislation as authoritarian.
A coalition of 22 state attorneys general filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ban-or-divest requirement. TikTok has yet to comment on the latest developments.
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