Leading up to the election, Donald Trump rallied his supporters, urging them to vote for him to save TikTok in America. In September, he made this appeal on his Truth Social account. Since then, he has taken steps to fulfill this promise.
In December, he invited TikTok CEO Hsu Choo to his Mar-a-Lago mansion to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for a postponement of the TikTok ban. Now, there is consideration of a presidential order to delay the app’s shutdown. Chu is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration as a sign of support.
TikTok faces expulsion from the U.S. unless it is acquired by a non-Chinese parent company. Congress passed a bill labeling the app a national security threat due to its ownership by ByteDance in Beijing. TikTok has challenged this law in the Supreme Court, awaiting a decision before the January 19 deadline.
While the law only prohibits new downloads of the app, TikTok plans to block access for existing users on the ban’s effective date. President Biden signed the bill into law last April, but his administration is exploring options to keep TikTok accessible beyond January 19.
The Department of Justice can choose not to enforce the ban, as Trump could instruct them to. This selective enforcement approach would prioritize other issues deemed more crucial than banning TikTok.
Rather than targeting TikTok directly, the ban aims at sanctioning the app’s distributors and hosts. Big tech companies like Google and Apple could face penalties for continuing to offer TikTok in their app stores, but there are doubts about enforcement.
President-elect Vance and Congress are exploring ways to avert the TikTok ban, with discussions of extending the deadline. They argue that the ban infringes on free speech rights and are seeking alternative solutions.
Buying time to “save TikTok”
President Trump initially ordered action against TikTok due to national security concerns. However, he has since grown fond of the platform, accumulating a large following and advocating for its preservation.
As the Supreme Court evaluates the case, Trump has submitted a brief urging a temporary ban moratorium to allow for negotiations. He is seen as the key player in saving TikTok from a potential shutdown.
There are speculations that President Trump might intervene to prevent the ban, with TikTok’s legal team hinting at this possibility during court proceedings. However, caution is advised against bypassing Congressional laws.
Source: www.theguardian.com
