President-elect Trump said Friday he would be making a decision about the fate of TikTok after the Supreme Court upheld a law requiring the app’s China-based parent company to divest from the app or face a ban starting Sunday.
“It ultimately goes up to me, so you’re going to see what I’m going to do,” Trump told CNN after the ruling was announced.
“Congress has given me the decision, so I’ll be making the decision,” Trump added.
The justices unanimously sided with the Biden administration, finding that the divest-or-ban law does not violate the First Amendment. Trump had urged the justices to delay the deadline so he could negotiate a deal, but the court instead acted with breakneck speed.
But the Biden administration has reportedly said it will not enforce the ban on the eve of its departure, putting the matter in Trump’s hands.
Trump signed an executive order in 2020, during his first term, effectively banning TikTok over data privacy concerns because of its parent company, ByteDance. While the order was never enacted after legal challenges, Trump has in the past year become an outspoken fan of TikTok, citing his popularity on the app during his campaign.
Some of Trump’s top advisers in recent days said he will act upon taking office Monday to preserve access to the app while addressing data privacy concerns.
“TikTok itself is a fantastic platform,” incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Fox News. “I wish I could have it on my phone. The algorithm is amazing. We’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data. And that’s the deal that will be in front of us.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend Trump’s inauguration and sit on the dais with other tech leaders. The president-elect said Friday that he discussed the fate of TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a call.
