US President-elect Donald Trump recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
This meeting comes as TikTok faces a looming ban in the US due to concerns over its ownership by Chinese parent company ByteDance.
A law passed earlier this year stipulates that TikTok must be sold by ByteDance before January 19 to avoid a ban. TikTok has filed an emergency application with the US Supreme Court to delay the ban, citing the need for a review and allowing the incoming administration to assess the situation.
On Monday, TikTok asked the Supreme Court for a “modest delay” to “create breathing room” for a review of the ban by the court and the incoming administration to evaluate the decision.
It has also said that TikTok is one of the most significant speech platforms and the ban would cause “irreparable harm” to the company and users.
Interestingly, Trump has expressed opposition to the ban, despite initially supporting it during his first term. He believes the ban could inadvertently benefit Facebook, which he has accused of contributing to his 2020 election loss. Trump’s second term is set to begin on January 20, just a day after the deadline for TikTok’s sale or ban.
In a recent press conference, Trump stated that his administration would “take a look at TikTok.” He also acknowledged the platform’s impact, particularly among young voters, saying, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points.”
“There are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that. TikTok had an impact.”
Trump boasts 14.5 million followers on TikTok despite joining the platform only in June.
