Donald Trump calls on the US Supreme Court to delay the TikTok ban
US President-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to delay the upcoming TikTok ban while he works on a “political solution”.
His lawyers filed a legal brief on Friday with the court, which said that Trump “opposes banning TikTok” and “seeks the possibility of resolving current issues through political means.” rule after he took office”.
On January 10, the court will hear arguments on a US law that requires TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the social media company to an American company or face legal action. ban on January 19 – the day before Trump took office.
US officials and lawmakers have accused ByteDance of having links to the Chinese government – something the company denies.
Allegations about an app with 170 million users in the US prompted Congress to pass a bill in April, signed into law by President Joe Biden, that included a requirement for divestment or bans.
TikTok and ByteDance have filed multiple legal challenges against the law, arguing that it threatens US free speech protections, but have had little success. So far with no potential buyers materializing, the last chance for companies to deflect the ban is through the US high court.
Although the Supreme Court had previously refused to act on a request for an emergency injunction against the law, it agreed to allow TikTok, ByteDance and the US government to plead their case on the 10th. January – just days before the ban took effect.
Trump met with the CEO of TikTokShou Zi Chew, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last week.
In court filings Friday, Trump said the case presents “an unprecedented, novel and difficult tension between free speech and foreign policy concerns.” foreign affairs and national security”.
While the filing says Trump “takes no position on the fundamental merits of this dispute,” it adds that pushing back the Jan. 19 deadline would give Trump “the opportunity to pursue a resolution politics” to the matter without having to resort to the courts. .
The US Department of Justice has argued that China’s alleged links to TikTok pose a national security threat – and many state governments have raised concerns about the popular social media app This.
Nearly two dozen state attorneys general led by Montana’s Austin Knudsen have urged the Supreme Court to uphold laws that would force ByteDance and TikTok to divest or be banned.
Previously in December, A federal appeals court rejected the effort to overturn the law, saying it was “the culmination of far-reaching bipartisan action by Congress and successive presidents.”
Trump has publicly said he opposes the ban, despite supporting it during his first term as president.
“I have warm feelings for TikTok, because I won by 34 points for the youth,” he declared at a press conference in early December, even though the majority of young voters supported his opponent, Kamala Harris.
“There are people who say TikTok has something to do with it,” he added.
