Trump Meets TikTok CEO as Ban Deadline Approaches
US President-elect Donald Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday as the social media platform fights efforts by US authorities to impose a ban. The meeting took place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to CBS News, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
A law passed earlier this year mandates that TikTok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, will be banned unless it is sold before January 19. In response, TikTok has filed an emergency petition with the US Supreme Court to delay the ban.
The US government seeks to have TikTok sold or banned due to concerns about its alleged ties to the Chinese government, which both TikTok and ByteDance have denied. The law was introduced to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary-controlled applications.”
Despite previously supporting a ban, Trump now opposes it, citing concerns that it could benefit Facebook, a company he has accused of influencing his 2020 election loss.
Although Trump’s second term won’t begin until January 20, the day after the law’s deadline, TikTok has asked the Supreme Court for a “modest delay” to give the Court time for review and allow the incoming administration to evaluate the situation. TikTok emphasized that a ban would cause “immediate irreparable harm” to the company and its users.
Earlier this month, the federal appeals court rejected TikTok’s bid to overturn the ban, stating that the law represented “extensive, bipartisan action by Congress and successive presidents.”
At a press conference on Monday, Trump said his administration would “take a look at TikTok,” expressing a positive view of the platform. “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points,” he said, referencing the platform’s role in his campaign.
Despite a majority of young voters backing Kamala Harris in the November election, Trump saw a notable increase in support from young voters compared to 2020. Trump, who joined TikTok in June, gained millions of followers during his campaign.
