Trump suggests TikTok may stay in U.S. amid legal challenges

Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has hinted that TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, may continue operating in the United States for a limited period.

During an event hosted by the conservative organization Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, Trump acknowledged the app’s potential role in reaching key voters during the presidential election. He noted that the campaign had received a great response on TikTok, with billions of views. Trump mentioned that he had been shown a chart highlighting the significant engagement his campaign received on the app.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US Supreme Court agreed to review TikTok’s request, along with its Chinese parent company ByteDance, to block a law requiring the app's sale by January 19 or face a nationwide ban on national security grounds.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on January 10 regarding whether the law violates the First Amendment by unconstitutionally restricting free speech. The ruling follows TikTok’s petition for an injunction against the law, arguing that the potential ban could silence one of America’s most popular platforms for political, commercial, and cultural discourse just days before the presidential inauguration.

In April, US President Joe Biden signed into law a measure that mandates ByteDance to divest TikTok within 270 days, citing national security concerns. Failure to comply would lead to TikTok's removal from app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google.

TikTok has strongly opposed the ban, filing a lawsuit in May to block it, which has been met with considerable backlash. In early December, the US Court of Appeals in Washington dismissed TikTok's claim that the ban was unconstitutional.

With IANS inputs