Trump Backs TikTok's Continued U.S. Operation Amid ByteDance Divestiture and Supreme Court Appeal

Dec 26, 2024, 02:00 PM

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States, citing the platform's role in his successful presidential campaign where it garnered billions of views. Trump's comments, made at the AmericaFest event in Phoenix, Arizona, suggest a potential shift in policy regarding the app, which faces a ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests it by January 19. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear TikTok's appeal against the divestiture law on January 10. Trump's favorable stance towards TikTok, despite national security concerns raised by the Justice Department and U.S. lawmakers, was further emphasized during a meeting with TikTok's CEO, where he mentioned having a 'warm spot' for the app due to its campaign impact. TikTok argues that its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on Oracle servers, and content moderation decisions affecting U.S. users are made domestically.