TikTok headquarters in California, USA
NBC News on December 17 reported that US President-elect Donald Trump had just met TikTok CEO Chau Thu Tu, in the context that this video sharing application is about to be banned in the US.
Previously, during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16, Mr. Trump expressed “sympathy” for TikTok and said his upcoming administration would “consider” whether this application has Should it be banned in the US or not?
Under a federal law signed by President Joe Biden, TikTok will be banned in the US from January 19, 2025, unless the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, agrees to divest.
On December 16, TikTok asked the US Supreme Court to block this law. In principle, President Biden could also decide to let this application postpone the execution of the ruling for 90 days.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Chau.
Mr. Trump is softer on TikTok, stating conditions for the US to stay in NATO
During the above press conference, Mr. Trump did not mention the meeting with Mr. Chau, but said he thought he won the election partly thanks to using TikTok.
“I won the youth group election with 34 points. And there are people who say TikTok has something to do with it,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to a national voter opinion poll, Mr. Trump lost among voters aged 18-29.
Mr. Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020, during his first term in the White House, but he was blocked by the courts.
He changed his stance this year, surprising some of his supporters but pleasing others, including major Republican donor Jeff Yass, a Invest heavily in TikTok.
Supporters of the ban include both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress, arguing that Chinese-owned TikTok poses a threat to user privacy and the information environment. through the ability to manipulate content. TikTok has denied the allegations.
