US Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, can Trump come to the rescue?

(CLO) The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday to uphold the law banning TikTok if its Chinese parent company ByteDance does not sell the popular social network, putting it at risk of ceasing operations in the US from tomorrow (January 19).

The court's overwhelming 9-0 ruling leaves the fate of the social media platform, which has 170 million users in the United States, in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to rescue TikTok after returning to the White House on January 20.

The law passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan majorities last year and was signed by President Joe Biden. TikTok, ByteDance, and some of the app's users challenged the law, but the Supreme Court ruled that it did not violate free speech rights in the U.S. Constitution, as they argued.

Illustration: GI

ByteDance did little to divest TikTok before the statutory Sunday deadline, so its shutdown will theoretically take place on January 19.

"My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I have to take some time to review the situation. Stay tuned!", Mr. Trump said in a social media post. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend Mr. Trump's inauguration on Monday in Washington.

"I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that will allow TikTok to continue to be used in the United States," Chew said in a statement, reiterating the company's free speech statement.

It’s possible TikTok could still operate on Sunday if the Biden administration makes it clear it won’t enforce the law out of deference to the incoming Trump administration.

US lawmakers and the Biden administration have highlighted national security concerns about TikTok as the reason they are banning the Chinese social network.

TikTok has become one of the most prominent social media platforms in the US, especially among young people who use the platform to post short videos, including many who use it as a platform for small businesses.

Hoang Huy (according to SCOTUS, TikTok, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/toa-an-toi-cao-my-duy-tri-lenh-cam-tiktok-lieu-ong-trump-co-the-giai-cuu-post330890.html