By Kanishka Singh and Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Courtroom to pause implementation of a legislation that may ban fashionable social media app TikTok or drive its sale, arguing he ought to have time after taking workplace to pursue a “political decision” to the difficulty.
The court docket is about to listen to arguments within the case on Jan. 10.
The legislation would require TikTok’s Chinese language proprietor, ByteDance, to promote the platform to an American firm or face a ban. The U.S. Congress voted in April to ban it until ByteDance sells the app by Jan. 19.
TikTok, which has over 170 million U.S. customers, and its father or mother have sought to have the legislation struck down. But when the court docket doesn’t rule of their favor and no divestment happens, the app may very well be successfully banned in the US on Jan. 19, in the future earlier than Trump takes workplace.
Trump’s help for TikTok is a reversal from 2020, when he tried to dam the app in the US and drive its sale to American firms due to its Chinese language possession.
It additionally exhibits the numerous effort by the corporate to forge inroads with Trump and his staff throughout the presidential marketing campaign.
“President Trump takes no place on the underlying deserves of this dispute,” stated D. John Sauer, Trump’s lawyer who can be the president-elect’s decide for U.S. solicitor basic.
“As an alternative, he respectfully requests that the Courtroom take into account staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, whereas it considers the deserves of this case, thus allowing President Trump’s incoming administration the chance to pursue a political decision of the questions at problem within the case,” he added.
Trump beforehand met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in December, hours after the president-elect expressed he had a “heat spot” for the app and that he favored permitting TikTok to maintain working in the US for at the very least a short time.
The president-elect additionally stated he had acquired billions of views on the social media platform throughout his presidential marketing campaign.
TikTok didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The corporate has beforehand stated the Justice Division has misstated its ties to China, arguing its content material advice engine and person knowledge are saved in the US on cloud servers operated by Oracle Corp (NYSE:) whereas content material moderation choices that have an effect on U.S. customers are made in the US as properly.
Free speech advocates individually instructed the Supreme Courtroom on Friday the U.S. legislation towards TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the US’ authoritarian enemies.
The U.S. Justice Division has argued Chinese language management of TikTok poses a seamless menace to nationwide safety, a place supported by most U.S. lawmakers.
Montana Lawyer Common Austin Knudsen led a coalition of twenty-two attorneys basic on Friday in submitting an amicus temporary asking the Supreme Courtroom to uphold the nationwide TikTok divest-or-ban laws.
