TikTok may have a gleam of hope to remain operational in the US, thanks to Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump might be the ray of hope for popular short-video platform TikTok to remain operational in the US. Reportedly, Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay law enforcement that could ban TikTok in the country if the Chinese company's owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell the app to an American company by January 19, 2025. The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an emergency motion in the US court asking for banning TikTok in the country before Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. The court is set to hear arguments on January 10, 2025.

Trump’s lawyer, D. John Sauer, submitted a request to delay the law and ban TikTok from the country on Friday. Sauer stated that Trump is not taking a stance on the legal arguments of the case, but wants to pause the case, while he explores a political solution or a deal out of the situation. Sauer said:

President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump’s incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case.

The law, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April, mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company or face a nationwide ban due to concerns over national security. Trump, who also previously attempted to ban TikTok in 2020, suggested to the court that he could negotiate a deal to address the government's national security concerns while preserving the app.

Trump recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in December, expressing a warm spot for the app, suggesting a shift in his stance on the platform. Trump's team has argued that he has the political will and expertise to address the security concern and also keep the app accessible to millions in the country.

Source: Fortune