In April, the U.S. Senate approved legislation mandating that ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, divest the popular app, with national security concerns being the primary justification for this decision.
President-elect Donald Trump stated on Sunday, December 22, 2024, that he supports the continuation of TikTok’s operations in the United States for the time being. He noted that his presidential campaign garnered billions of views on the social media platform.
During a gathering of conservative supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump delivered remarks that strongly indicated his opposition to a possible exit of TikTok from the U.S. market.
In April, the U.S. Senate approved legislation mandating that ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, divest the popular app, with national security concerns being the primary justification.
TikTok’s owners are challenging the legality of the law, and the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take up the case. If the court rules against ByteDance and divestment does not take place, the app may face a potential ban in the United States on January 19, just one day prior to Trump’s inauguration.
The method by which Trump might attempt to reverse the TikTok divestiture order remains uncertain, particularly given its strong approval in the Senate.
During a speech at AmericaFest, an annual event hosted by the conservative organization Turning Point, Trump emphasized the need for strategic thinking. He highlighted the success of their TikTok presence, stating, “we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views.”
“A chart was presented to me, and it was a record, striking in its beauty. Upon examining it, I remarked, ‘Perhaps we should hold onto this for a while,'” he stated.
On Monday, Trump held a meeting with the CEO of TikTok. During a news conference on the same day, Trump expressed that he has a “warm spot” for TikTok, attributing this sentiment to the success of his campaign on the platform.
The Justice Department contends that Chinese ownership of TikTok represents an ongoing risk to national security, a stance that has garnered backing from the majority of U.S. lawmakers.
TikTok has responded to claims from the Justice Department, asserting that the agency has inaccurately represented the app’s connections to China. The company emphasizes that its content recommendation engine and user data are securely stored in the United States, utilizing cloud servers managed by Oracle Corp. Furthermore, TikTok states that decisions regarding content moderation for U.S. users are conducted within the United States.
