Trump Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Halt Law Threatening TikTok Ban

President-elect Donald Trump has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block a law requiring Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations by January 19, 2025.

The law mandates a complete ban on TikTok in the U.S. if ByteDance fails to comply. According to Bloomberg, Trump seeks this pause to explore alternative solutions.

Trump believes that once he takes office on January 20, he can propose a "balanced solution" that protects the platform while addressing U.S. national security concerns. While refraining from directly criticizing the law's constitutionality, he expressed concerns over its potential impact on free speech.

The president-elect stated that he has the resources to broker a compromise that satisfies both the interests of American users and national security demands. He emphasized TikTok's importance as a platform for engaging with younger voters, which he sees as critical to public discourse.

U.S. officials argue that TikTok poses a threat because the data of millions of Americans could be accessed by adversarial nations. ByteDance must separate TikTok's U.S. operations to continue operating within the country. The law, passed under the Biden administration, will take effect on January 19 unless TikTok complies.

Court hearings on the case are set to begin on January 10. TikTok representatives warn that banning the platform would set a dangerous precedent restricting free speech. Trump, meanwhile, underscores that blocking TikTok without attempting a compromise is unacceptable and contradicts democratic principles.