US President-Elect Donald Trump Appeals To Supreme Court Over Tiktok Ban, Seeks Pause For Negotiated Resolution

(MENAFN- Live Mint) President-elect Donald trump has entered the contentious legal battle over TikTok's future in the United States, urging the Supreme Court to pause a law to ban the social media platform if its Chinese parent company does not sell it, Bloomberg reported.

In his filing, Trump asked the court for time following his January 20 inauguration to“seek a negotiated resolution” to the conflict. While he refrained from taking a definitive position on the constitutionality of the law, which is scheduled to take effect on January 19, he acknowledged it raised“sweeping and troubling” free speech concerns, as per the report.

Trump argued to the justices,“Only he 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.” He did not specify the terms of the potential deal or indicate the length of the delay he would need, as per the Bloomberg report.

The Supreme Court has taken up the case on an expedited timeline, scheduling arguments for January 10, just over a week before the law is set to take effect. The case presents a clash between First Amendment rights and national security interests.

In his appeal, Trump suggested that a temporary pause would offer the court“breathing space” to evaluate the issues“on a more measured schedule.”

The filing came after TikTok and the Biden administration submitted arguments on Friday. The Biden-led Justice Department warned of“grave national-security threats” posed by Chinese ownership of TikTok. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that the platform collects“sensitive data about tens of millions of Americans” and could be exploited for covert foreign influence operations.

TikTok countered that Congress overlooked less extreme measures, arguing,“History and precedent teach that, even when national security is at stake, speech bans must be Congress's last resort.”

While Trump previously supported banning TikTok , his stance appears to have softened. Recently, he stated he has a“warm spot” for the platform, citing its role in swaying young voters in his favour during the November election. Earlier this month, Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club, one of several meetings with big tech executives.

During his first term, Trump expressed willingness to let TikTok be sold to a U.S. company, emphasising that the federal government should benefit financially from any sale.

Should the ban take effect, Trump's position could significantly influence its enforcement. The Justice Department, tasked with implementing the law, operates under the president's direction. Trump would also have final approval over any divestment deal.

Trump's filing echoed free speech arguments made by TikTok and its users.“The law may set a dangerous global precedent by exercising the extraordinary power to shut down an entire social-media platform based, in large part, on concerns about disfavored speech on that platform,” Trump said in the filing, which was submitted by John Sauer, his nominee for solicitor general.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Washington upheld the law in a 3-0 decision, arguing that Congress and the president deserve broad discretion in national security matters. However, the law is also being challenged by a group of content creators.

The cases before the Supreme Court are TikTok v. Garland, 24-656, and Firebaugh v. Garland, 24-657.

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