The law requires China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company or face a ban. Donald Trump’s legal team has asked the court to allow the incoming administration the time "to pursue a political resolution."
President-elect Donald Trump asked the US Supreme Court on Friday to delay a law that would ban TikTok or force its sale by its Chinese owner ByteDance.
The law, set to take effect on January 19 — one day before Trump’s inauguration — requires ByteDance to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.
Trump’s legal team asked the court to allow the incoming administration the time “to pursue a political resolution.”
President Joe Biden signed the law in April in a bid to address TikTok’s potential national security risks, including its ties to China.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case on January 10.
Trump’s latest stance marks a reversal from his first term when he sought to ban the app over national security concerns.
US officials then had voiced concern over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people.
Last week, Trump said TikTok has a “a warm spot” in his heart for helping him connect with young voters, just ahead of his meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
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TikTok, which has over 170 million US users, and its parent company have sought to have the law struck down arguing that the legislation violates US First Amendment rights.
If the court does not rule in their favor, the app could be effectively banned in the US on January 19, one day before Trump takes office.
Officials claim Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to share data on US users or manipulate the spread of information.
However, the platform has denied sharing data with Chinese officials. TikTok’s legal filing points out that the US government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” adding that the concerns are based solely on probable future risks.
Meanwhile, free-speech advocates told the Supreme Court on Friday that the law banning TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the United States’ authoritarian enemies.
ss/jsi (AP, AFP, Reuters)
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