President-elect Donald Trump has stated that he will soon make a decision regarding the future of TikTok in the United States following the Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld a law requiring the platform to be banned unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells it to an American firm.
Trump shared his comments on Truth Social.
On January 17, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in the case, affirming the national security concerns surrounding TikTok due to its ownership by a Chinese company.
Trump expressed that the Supreme Court’s decision was anticipated and must be respected. However, he noted that he needs time to assess the situation before making any further moves.
In a statement to CNN, Trump remarked, “Ultimately, the decision is mine.” When asked whether he would take action to block the ban, he indicated that he would make a decision soon. “Congress has given me the decision, so I’ll be making it,” he added.
The issue of banning TikTok in the U.S. first arose during Trump’s presidency, a point referenced in the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“President Trump determined that TikTok raised significant concerns, noting that the platform ‘automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users’ and could be used to advance the interests of the Chinese government,” the court’s opinion stated.
The Biden administration has indicated that the responsibility for enforcing the TikTok ban will fall to Trump. The ban is set to take effect on January 19, just one day before Trump’s inauguration.
Over time, Trump has shifted his stance on TikTok, now expressing a desire to preserve its operations in the U.S. He has also requested that the Supreme Court temporarily halt the enforcement of the ban to allow him time, as president, to negotiate a potential sale of TikTok.
