Trump Urges Supreme Court to Halt Imminent TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump asks the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok just one day before his inauguration. His legal team claims the timing interferes with his ability to negotiate a resolution to the national security concerns.
Attorneys for President-elect Donald Trump ask the Supreme Court to pause a law that forces ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban. The ban is scheduled to take effect on January 19, just one day before Trump's inauguration. Trump's legal team calls this timing unfortunate and argues that it interferes with his constitutional ability to manage foreign policy.
The filing claims that Trump possesses the unique dealmaking expertise and political mandate to negotiate a resolution that saves the platform while addressing national security concerns. It also highlights his 14.7 million followers on the app, noting that TikTok serves as an important medium for core political speech and freedom of expression. This request represents a significant shift from Trump's first term, when he attempted to ban the video app himself.
ByteDance challenges the constitutionality of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments on January 10. The company receives backing from several civil liberties groups, including the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which argue that the government presents no credible evidence of imminent harm caused by TikTok. Meanwhile, supporters of the law maintain that the Chinese government uses the app to collect data and push propaganda to American viewers.