Former President Donald Trump, now President-elect, reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, according to CBS News. The meeting comes as the social media giant battles an impending U.S. ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its ownership by January 19.
The ban, enacted under a bipartisan law earlier this year, cites national security concerns over alleged links between ByteDance and the Chinese government—claims that both TikTok and ByteDance have consistently denied. The law aims to safeguard the U.S. from potential risks posed by foreign-controlled applications.
TikTok has filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking a delay in the ban to allow further review and provide the incoming administration time to evaluate the matter. The company warned of “immediate irreparable harm” to its platform and millions of users if the ban proceeds, describing itself as “one of the most significant speech platforms” in the country.
Trump, who supported banning TikTok during his first term, now opposes the move, partly due to concerns that it may benefit competitors like Facebook, which he has accused of influencing the outcome of his 2020 election loss. At a press conference, Trump noted his administration would “take a look at TikTok,” adding, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points.”
The federal appeals court recently upheld the law, describing it as the result of bipartisan action from Congress and successive administrations. TikTok’s Supreme Court filing seeks to delay enforcement to provide “breathing room” for review and discussions with the incoming administration.
With the January 19 deadline looming, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as political and legal battles continue to unfold.
