Trump asks US Supreme Court to pause TikTok ban law
US President-elect Donald Trump has filed a request urging the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of a law that could ban TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app.
The law is set to take effect a day before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Trump’s legal team argued in the brief, submitted on Friday, that the Supreme Court should extend the deadline to allow for a comprehensive political resolution.
“In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues,” the legal team stated.
READ ALSO: US House passes bill to ban TikTok
This marks a significant change in Trump’s approach to TikTok, which he sought to ban on national security grounds during his first term (2017–2021). Concerns were raised over alleged data-sharing ties between ByteDance and the Chinese government, which the company has consistently denied.
In a recent press conference, Trump expressed a new perspective: “Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m for TikTok, because you need competition. If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram — and that’s Zuckerberg.”
Earlier this month, Trump met TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago residence, hinting at a more conciliatory approach.
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing TikTok’s appeal against the law signed by President Joe Biden, which demands ByteDance’s divestment or bans the app.
TikTok has argued that the law violates First Amendment rights and is an unprecedented restriction on free speech.
A coalition of free speech advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, also opposed the law, filing a brief that highlighted potential censorship concerns.
“Such a ban is unprecedented in our country and, if it goes into effect, will cause a far-reaching disruption in Americans’ ability to engage with the content and audiences of their choice online,” the coalition said.
Oral arguments for the case are scheduled for January 10, 2025, leaving limited time for resolution.
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