Request for Delay in TikTok Ban Decision
Donald Trump has submitted a request to the United States Supreme Court to postpone the decision regarding the ban on TikTok until after his inauguration.
Background of the Case
The law in question, currently being challenged by Bytedance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, requires the platform’s owner to either sell to a US company or face a forced exit from the US market, as reported by American media outlets.
Bytedance has been given a deadline of January 19 to find a new owner, which coincides with the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s Request for Postponement
The case is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on January 10. However, Trump is seeking to delay the deadline, citing the need for an “opportunity to seek a political solution” without resorting to a court decision, as stated in court documents.
National Security Concerns and Free Speech
The United States has raised concerns that TikTok is linked to the Chinese state and poses a threat to national security, a claim the company has denied. Bytedance has also argued that the ban would infringe upon American free speech.
In court papers, Trump acknowledges that the case presents “a new, difficult and unprecedented tension between free speech, on the one hand, and foreign policy and national security interests, on the other.”