TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday. The meeting comes as TikTok continues its battle to avoid a potential ban in the United States. Kaitlan Collins from CNN reported this development. Chew joins the ranks of other prominent tech leaders, including Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, who have also met with Trump in recent months.
News — Trump is meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago Club today, I’m told. That comes hours after the president-elect suggested he might reverse course on the impending ban on the app in the US, as TikTok is now asking the Supreme Court to step in.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 16, 2024
TikTok fights ban with Supreme Court appeal
TikTok has been entangled in legal challenges to prevent enforcement of a law that requires the app to either divest or face a ban in the US. This law, set to take effect on January 19, recently withstood an appeals court ruling in favour of the ban. In response, TikTok has now turned to the Supreme Court, requesting intervention to block the legislation from taking effect.
The ban stems from concerns raised by the Trump administration over TikTok’s alleged threats to national security, mainly due to its ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. Critics argue that the app could share user data with the Chinese government, although TikTok has repeatedly denied these allegations.
Trump’s shifting stance on TikTok
Interestingly, Trump’s position on TikTok has shifted significantly in recent months. Initially, he was one of the app’s harshest critics, pushing firmly for its ban. However, he surprised many in March with a reluctance to see TikTok removed from the US market. During a public statement, Trump remarked, “Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people.”
In a move that raised eyebrows, Trump joined TikTok in June, posting videos widely shared on the platform. When asked about the ban during a press conference on Monday, Trump stated, “We’ll take a look,” suggesting he may still be open to discussing the matter further.
Tech giants show support for Trump
This meeting is also part of a broader trend of technology companies engaging with Trump and his administration. Several major firms, including Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI, have contributed to Trump’s inauguration fund. While the reasons for these contributions are unclear, they highlight the importance of maintaining open communication with the incoming administration.
As TikTok awaits the Supreme Court’s decision, the platform’s future in the United States remains uncertain. Chew’s meeting with Trump could be pivotal in determining the app’s fate.
