TikTok Ban is Delayed By Trump As He Asks The Supreme Court

(VOR News) – President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to delay the TikTok ban until his administration can find a “political resolution” to the matter.

Conflicting filings filed to the court by TikHub and Vice President Joe Biden’s office led to this request. While the government underlined that the legislation is required to reduce a threat to national security, the corporation claimed that the court should annul a law that would forbid the platform by January 19.

Regarding the fundamental questions under discussion in this debate, the United States President does not express any opinion.

Written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s amicus brief, chosen for solicitor general, politely asks the Court to seek a stay on the divestment deadline of January 19, 2025, while analyzing the merits of the case, without favoring any party. Trump has Sauer nominated as his solicitor general.

The court argument illustrates Trump’s TikTok national concerns before his presidency.

The incoming Republican president has begun conversations with foreign countries regarding his plans to impose tariffs.

Additionally, he has lately intervened in a funding project for the federal government, lobbying for the rejection of a proposal that was supported by both parties and prompting Republicans to reconsider their participation in the negotiations.

In the past, during his first administration, Trump wanted to outlaw the widely used program owing to concerns about its impact on national security.

However, he has since changed his position on the matter. During his campaign for the presidency in 2024, he became a member of the application, and his team made use of it to attract younger voters, particularly males, by sharing information that was frequently hostile and intended to generate virality.

At the beginning of this year, he expressed his belief that he continued to identify concerns to national security associated with TikTok, despite the fact that he was opposed to the prohibition of the app. At the beginning of this month, President Trump met with Shou Chew, the CEO of TikTok, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The submissions that were made on Friday come before oral arguments that are scheduled to take place on January 10.

The arguments will be on the legitimacy of the law that requires TikTok to divest from its parent company that is based in China or risk a ban, as well as whether or not the rule unlawfully violates the First Amendment by restricting free speech.

In April, President Joe Biden signed the Act into law after it had been approved by Congress with widespread support from members of both the legislative and executive branches. Following that, TikTok and ByteDance took the initiative to launch a legal dispute.

The act was unanimously upheld by a panel of three federal judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit earlier this month, which prompted TikTok to file an appeal with the Supreme Court over the subject.

During his message, President Trump highlighted his determination to address existing problems through political channels after he takes office.

Furthermore, he said that he is opposed to a ban on TikTok at this time.

Legal representatives for TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, argued in their submission to the Supreme Court on Friday that the federal appeals court made a mistake in its conclusion. The conclusion was based on “purported ‘risks’ that China might exert control” over TikTok’s platform in the United States by influencing its international affiliates.

The administration of Vice President Joe Biden has successfully argued in court that TikTok poses a threat to the nation’s security due to the fact that it is affiliated with China.

It has been asserted by the authorities that Chinese authorities have the ability to compel ByteDance to reveal information regarding TikTok users in the United States, or to use the network to either distribute or restrict content.

Nevertheless, the government “acknowledges that it possesses no evidence indicating China has ever made such attempts,” as stated in the court document that TikTok submitted. This statement highlights the fact that the United States’ fears are predicated on prospective dangers in the future.

In its briefing on Friday, the administration of Vice President Joe Biden claimed that TikTok, which is dependent on its proprietary engine that was designed and maintained in China, presents inherent dangers owing to its business structure. TikTok is connected with ByteDance.

SOURCE: NPR

SEE ALSO:

Sweden Begins a Sober Hunt for More Graveyard Space in Case of War.

Apple Joins Google’s Antitrust Trial After an Agreement on Search Engines.