Trump requests a stop to threats by US Supreme Court to ban TikTok

Political rivals shared the Republican’s worries over possible Chinese government access to US TikTok users’ data or manipulation of what they view on the network.

Allegations rejected by the corporation and the Chinese government, US authorities had also expressed concern over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, suggesting that its parent company is subordinate to Beijing and that the service is used to disseminate propaganda.

With the government sharing in the sale price, Trump demanded a US business purchase TikTok, and his successor Joe Biden signed legislation prohibiting the app for the same reasons, one step further.

However, Trump has now reversed his course.

Last week at a press conference, Trump declared he had “a warm spot” for TikTok and that his government will review the app and possible ban.

The presidential-elect visited TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago Florida mansion earlier this month.

Trump recently told Bloomberg he has altered his opinion about the app: “Now (that) I’m thinking about it, I’m for TikTok, because you need competition.”

“If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram—and that’s, you know, that’s Zuckerberg.”

Among the social media platforms banned Trump from after attacks by his followers on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Facebook, started by Mark Zuckerberg and a part of his Meta digital empire, was among them.

Concerns about his using the forum to support additional violence drove the ban.

Later on, those prohibitions on several main social networking sites were repealed.

Trump’s attorney made it abundantly evident in the brief sent in on Friday that the president-elect had no opinion on the legal merits of the current case.

Last Monday, the US apex court decided to hear TikTok case against Biden’s attempt to compel its owner to sell off it or risk a ban.

Oral arguments set on January 10 would force the matter to be heard at a dizzying speed.

TikTok contends that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act breaks First Amendment free speech rights.

Among more than a dozen fact-checking organizations, AFP is paid by TikTok in many nations to confirm videos maybe containing misleading material.