US President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of legislation requiring TikTok to be banned or sold to an American company. Trump stated that his incoming administration should have the opportunity to think of a political resolution to the matter before the app gets banned.
The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments on January 10 on the law under which it is mandatory for the TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to divest the app till January 19 or face a ban. TikTok, a social media platform with more than 170 million users in the US, has challenged the law in court. If the court does not rule in its favour and no sale takes place, TikTok may be banned in the country one day before Trump resumes second term.
Trump’s recent statement on TikTok is completely different from its earlier stance in 2020 when he wanted to ban the app because of the national security concerns related to its Chinese ownership.
His legal team headed by D John Sauer has appealed the court to put a stay on the January 19 deadline so that the new administration will get time to address the issue. Sauer stated that the president-elect takes no authority on the law’s but believes the new administration will have time to explore alternative options.
The debate has attracted national attention, as free speech believes that the legislation is similar to censorship practices that was practised in authoritarian regimes. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department holds the opinion that TikTok’s Chinese ownership is a threat for national security, a view as believed by many lawmakers.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and 21 other attorneys general have backed the legislation. They have also urged the Supreme Court to support the divest or ban mandate.
On the contrary, TikTok has defended its claims, stating that its US operations inclusive of content moderation and data storage do not have Chinese influence. However, the app’s future continues to be unclear as the legal and political issue persists.
(With inputs from Reuters)