Trump Teases TikTok’s Fate in the US as ByteDance Faces a Critical Supreme Court Battle

President-elect Donald Trump hinted that TikTok could remain operational in the US, citing its immense popularity during his campaign, even as ByteDance braces for a Supreme Court showdown over its ownership.

Trump Suggests TikTok Could Stay in the United States

After receiving billions of views on the social media platform throughout his presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump backed permitting TikTok to continue operating in the United States for at least a little while on Sunday.

Speaking to a conservative rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump sent one of the clearest hints about his opposition to TikTok's possible departure from the American market.

In April, the United States Senate issued a mandate compelling ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell up the app. The reason given was the software's impact on national security.

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear TikTok's Appeal

The owners of TikTok have petitioned the United States Supreme Court to overturn the legislation, and the court has consented to consider their case. On January 19, the day before Trump assumes power, the app could be essentially banned in the US if the court does not find in ByteDance's favor and divestment does not take place.

The Senate's TikTok divestiture order was enacted with a resounding majority, but Trump's plan to reverse it remains a mystery.

During AmericaFest, an annual meeting hosted by conservative group Turning Point, Trump addressed the crowd and said, "I think we're going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views, billions and billions of views."

Trump Meets TikTok CEO Amid Divestment Debate

"They brought me a chart, and it was a record, and it was so beautiful to see, and as I looked at it, I said, 'Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while'," he explained.

The CEO of TikTok and Trump had a meeting on Monday. Trump expressed his "warm spot" for TikTok at a news conference the very same day, citing the app's success during his campaign.

Most politicians in the United States agree with the Justice Department that Chinese control of TikTok is a persistent danger to national security, Investing.com.

TikTok Defends Its US Operations

The social media app TikTok claims that the US Department of Justice has exaggerated the extent to which the app is connected to China. The company maintains that its content recommendation engine and user data are kept in US cloud servers run by Oracle Corp., and that decisions regarding content moderation that impact US users are made in US facilities as well.