Trump meets TikTok CEO as ban deadline looms
US President-elect Donald Trump is set to meet TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew as the social media platform fights a looming ban in the United States. The meeting is expected to take place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
A law passed earlier this year mandates that TikTok must be sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, before January 19 or face a nationwide ban. In response, TikTok has filed an emergency application with the US Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of the ban.
The US government seeks the ban or sale of TikTok due to alleged ties between ByteDance and the Chinese government—claims that both ByteDance and TikTok have consistently denied. The legislation introducing the law frames it as a measure to safeguard national security against potential risks posed by foreign-controlled applications.
Despite supporting a TikTok ban during his first term, Trump now opposes it, partly due to concerns that such a move could benefit Facebook, a company he blames for his 2020 election defeat. However, Trump’s second term would not begin until January 20, one day after the law’s deadline.
TikTok’s Supreme Court filing, submitted on Monday, requested a short delay to provide time for judicial review and allow the incoming administration to reconsider the matter. The company argued that TikTok serves as a significant platform for free expression in the US and warned that enforcing the ban would cause irreparable harm to both the company and its users. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court rejected TikTok’s attempt to overturn the ban, ruling that the law represents the culmination of bipartisan efforts by Congress and successive US administrations
