Trump Urges Supreme Court to Delay TikTok Divestment Deadline

President-elect Donald Trump has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court delay implementing a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform by 19 January 2025 or face a ban.

The law, enacted over national security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership, was signed by President Joe Biden.

In his filing, Trump argued that postponing the deadline would give his incoming administration time to seek a “political resolution” without immediate judicial intervention. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on 10 January 2025.

TikTok, with over 170 million U.S. users, has challenged the law, asserting its data practices pose no security risk and that a ban would violate free speech protections. However, a coalition of 22 state attorneys general has supported the law, citing national security concerns.

This marks a shift in Trump’s stance. While he previously sought to ban TikTok during his presidency, he now aims to address the issue through diplomacy.

Also Read: TikTok loses appeal, faces divestment deadline

“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute,” said D. John Sauer, Trump’s lawyer and nominee for U.S. Solicitor General. Sauer added that the Court should stay the law’s 19 January 2025 deadline to allow the incoming administration to explore a political resolution.

In December, Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, shortly after expressing his “warm spot” for the app and supporting its continued operation in the U.S. for now. He also highlighted TikTok’s role in his presidential campaign, which received billions of views on the platform.

TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company has previously argued that the U.S. Justice Department misrepresented its ties to China. It claims that its data and content moderation for U.S. users are managed domestically on servers operated by Oracle Corp.

Free speech advocates have criticised the legislation, comparing it to censorship in authoritarian regimes. However, the U.S. Justice Department has maintained that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses a national security threat, a view shared by most lawmakers.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and a coalition of 22 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief on Friday, urging the Supreme Court to uphold the divest-or-ban legislation.