Donald Trump is set to meet TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago estate as the company fights a looming U.S ban.
A law passed earlier this year requires TikTok to either sell itself by January 19 or face a ban, citing national security concerns over the app’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The U.S government fears the app could be used for espionage, although both TikTok and ByteDance have denied any such links.
TikTok has filed an emergency request with the U.S Supreme Court to delay the ban, arguing that it would cause irreparable harm to the platform and its users, and seeking time for the incoming Biden administration to evaluate the situation.
Interestingly, Trump, despite previously supporting a TikTok ban during his first term, now opposes it, potentially due to his criticism of Facebook, which he has accused of interfering in the 2020 election.
The deadline for TikTok’s sale or ban falls just before Trump’s second term inauguration, complicating the issue.
The company’s legal battle intensifies as the Supreme Court prepares to review its case, following a federal appeals court decision that upheld the law, citing broad bipartisan support for the ban.
The outcome could have significant implications for TikTok’s future in the U.S.
