President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to extend the January 19, 2025, deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell its U.S. operations. Trump’s legal team argued in a filing that the extension would allow his incoming administration to explore a “political solution” to concerns over the platform’s potential national security risks, the financial time reported.
The January deadline stems from legislation passed earlier this year, mandating the sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets to protect American user data from potential access by the Chinese government. The app has been under scrutiny for years, but TikTok has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that user data is securely stored outside of China, Reuters reported.
Trump’s filing also points out that his approach as president-elect is markedly different from his earlier stance in 2020 when he pushed for TikTok to be banned outright unless its U.S. operations were sold. During his recent presidential campaign, however, Trump emphasized TikTok’s significance for free expression and its popularity among American users, especially younger audiences, according to the news outlet the verge.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on January 10, 2025, just days before Trump’s inauguration. If granted, the extension would allow his administration to directly oversee negotiations aimed at resolving the controversy without requiring TikTok to be sold or banned, ap news reported
Free speech advocates and state attorneys general have weighed in on the debate, reflecting divided opinions on the issue. The Supreme Court’s decision will likely determine TikTok’s future operations in the United States.
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