United States President-elect Donald Trump has declared that, upon resuming office, he will make the decision regarding TikTok’s operations in the United States.
He made this assertion in an amicus brief filed on Friday, addressing the unique national security and First Amendment challenges posed by the social media platform.
The brief, which supports neither party, was filed ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.
The hearing concerns a new law mandating the divestment of TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, from foreign adversary control. The law stipulates a January 19 deadline, one day before Trump officially returns to office.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok’s imminent shutdown,” stated Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director.
He added that this extension would allow Trump to resolve the issue while safeguarding American national security and preserving TikTok’s platform.
Trump’s brief argues the case involves unprecedented conflicts between free speech and national security. It highlights his “powerful electoral mandate” and unique qualifications to address these concerns.
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“President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government,” the brief states.
The legislation requiring TikTok’s divestment would remove the platform from app stores if ByteDance fails to comply by January 19. Trump contends that the imposed deadline hinders his ability to oversee a resolution that balances national security with the rights of 170 million American TikTok users.
Trump also emphasised the role of TikTok’s First Amendment implications in his brief. He noted that his administration aims to protect free speech rights and resolve the issue politically without an outright ban.
TikTok has filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court to block the law temporarily, arguing it violates the First Amendment.
The platform has also highlighted its “Project Texas” initiative, which isolates U.S. user data on American servers, addressing national security concerns.
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