Trump Asks Supreme Court to Suspend TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay a law requiring TikTok to separate from ByteDance, citing his expertise to negotiate an alternative solution after taking office. This law, aimed at addressing national security concerns regarding TikTok's ties to China, has sparked significant legal and political discussions.
HASSAN BENYOUB 
In an unexpected turn of events, President-elect Donald Trump has requested the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the implementation of a law that could ban TikTok in the country. This move comes as the popular video-sharing app faces an imminent deadline to separate from its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Trump's Request
Donald Trump submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court, asking for a delay in enforcing the law that threatens to ban TikTok. In this document, Trump does not take a position on the merits of the dispute but rather asks the Court to consider suspending the divestiture deadline set for January 19, 2025.
The president-elect claims that he is "the only one with the necessary expertise to conclude agreements, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a solution". Trump wishes to have the opportunity to resolve the situation once he takes office at the White House on January 20.
Context of the TikTok Law
The law in question, passed by Congress last April with broad bipartisan support, requires ByteDance to sell its U.S. TikTok operations before January 19, or face a ban on the app. This measure aims to prevent alleged risks of espionage and manipulation by Chinese authorities of TikTok's approximately 170 million American users.
TikTok and Biden Administration's Positions
TikTok has challenged the constitutionality of the law, arguing that it violates the First Amendment. The company filed an appeal with the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court upheld the law's validity.
For its part, the Biden administration maintains that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its ties with China. The government asserts that TikTok's corporate structure, integrated with ByteDance, carries inherent risks.
Stakes and Next Steps
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case and has scheduled oral arguments for January 10. This quick decision underscores the importance and urgency of the issue, given the January 19 deadline.
Trump's position marks a reversal from his first presidency, during which he attempted to ban TikTok. This change in stance could have significant implications for the app's future in the United States.
As the debate over TikTok continues to raise questions about the balance between national security and freedom of expression, the outcome of this case could have significant repercussions on technological relations between the United States and China, as well as on the future of social media in the country.
