President-elect Donald Trump has requested the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the implementation of a law that would ban the social media app TikTok or force its sale. The appeal aims to provide his incoming administration with an opportunity to pursue a political resolution to the ongoing issue.
“In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues,” Trump’s legal team stated, emphasizing the need for additional time.
At a recent press conference, Trump expressed his sentiments towards the popular app, saying he has “a warm spot” for TikTok. He indicated that his administration would take a closer look at the potential ban and explore possible alternatives.
In April, U.S. President Joe Biden enacted the law that gives ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, 270 days to sell the app, citing national security concerns. Failure to comply would require app store operators like Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their platforms.
In response, TikTok sued the U.S. government in May to block the potential ban, which has faced widespread criticism. However, in early December, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. dismissed TikTok’s claim that the ban is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million U.S. users.
Following the dismissal, TikTok turned to the Supreme Court, arguing that enforcing the law would “silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern.”
The Supreme Court has agreed to review TikTok’s request and is scheduled to hear arguments on January 10 regarding whether the law unlawfully limits freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
If the court does not rule in TikTok’s favor and no divestment occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the United States on January 19, one day before Trump takes office.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
