TikTok CEO Meets Trump and Files Supreme Court Emergency Appeal to Block January Ban
TikTok has petitioned the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction as the January 19th ban deadline approaches, following a meeting between TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and President-elect Trump.
Supreme Court at dusk
The Supreme Court Building. Photo Credit: Joe Ravi
The petition comes after an appellate panel upheld the law requiring TikTok to either sell its U.S. operations or face a shutdown. ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, maintains that selling the platform is operationally unfeasible.
Key points from TikTok's 50-page Supreme Court petition:
- Describes the ban as "a massive and unprecedented speech restriction"
- Warns of "substantial and unrecoverable monetary and competitive harms"
- Highlights potential damage to small businesses using the platform
- Emphasizes technical complexities of a U.S.-only shutdown
- Requests Supreme Court ruling by January 6th due to implementation requirements
The ban deadline falls one day before Trump's inauguration, making the timing critical. Despite a recent meeting between Trump and TikTok's CEO, and Trump's acknowledged "warm spot" for the app, TikTok faces three possible outcomes:
- Supreme Court grants an emergency injunction
- President extends the deadline by 90 days
- Platform ceases U.S. operations on January 19th
The company continues facing regulatory challenges globally, with Google and Apple already notified to prepare for potential app store removal in the United States.
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