STORY: “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok”
U.S President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to pause implementation of a law that would ban TikTok or force its sale.
That’s because, he said in a legal filing, he should have time after taking office to pursue a “political resolution” to the issue.
The law in question would require TikTok’s Chinese owner, Bytedance, to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.
The U.S. Justice department has argued Chinese control of TikTok poses a continuing threat to national security.
That position is supported by most U.S lawmakers.
Free speech advocates, however, argue the law against TikTok evokes the censorship of authoritarian regimes.
:: Beijing, China
TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, has previously said the Justice Department has misstated the company’s ties to China.
It and its parent have sought to have the law struck down.
But if the court does not rule in their favor, and no divestment occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the U.S. on January 19 – one day before Trump takes office.
In 2020 he sought to block the app and forces it sale to American companies but more recently he has expressed a “warm spot” for TikTok.
“TikTok had an impact”
Trump met with TikTok’s CEO in December and has said he received billions of views on the social media platform during his presidential campaign.
