US President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay the law that could ban TikTok or force its sale. He believes he should have time to pursue a “political resolution” after taking office.
In his filing, Trump explained, “This case presents a difficult tension between free speech and national security.”
He added, “A delay would give President Trump the chance to explore a political solution, removing the need for the Court to make a decision.”
Free speech advocates separately told the Court that the law against TikTok reflects censorship tactics used by authoritarian regimes.
Earlier this week, Trump suggested that TikTok should remain active in the US. He pointed out that his campaign received billions of views on the platform.
Biden administration’s position on TikTok
TikTok and ByteDance are trying to keep the app active in the US after Congress voted in April. The law requires ByteDance to sell the app by January 19 or face a ban.
The Biden administration believes TikTok poses a national security risk. They argue that Chinese authorities could pressure ByteDance to hand over US user data or manipulate the platform.
However, the government admits it has no evidence of this happening. TikTok’s legal team says the fears are based on what could happen in the future.
The Biden administration also claims that TikTok’s ties to ByteDance, a Chinese company, add further risk due to its reliance on Chinese technology.
According to Pew Research, 59% of US adults aged 18 to 29 use TikTok. Around 63% of teens aged 13 to 17 also use the platform. Additionally, 52% of adult users get news from TikTok.
