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Following the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the TikTok ban, President-elect Trump now holds the app’s fate. The Biden administration declared it wouldn’t enforce the ban, scheduled for January 19th, the day before Trump’s inauguration.

Trump stated on Truth Social, “The Supreme Court ruling was anticipated, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be announced soon, but I need time to assess the situation.”

Trump previously urged the Supreme Court to delay the ban, seeking a “political solution.” However, his current stance contrasts with his 2020 position advocating for a TikTok ban. A federal judge blocked that action in December 2020. Trump remarked at a post-election press conference, “I’m fond of TikTok; I won the youth vote by 34 points, and some say TikTok contributed to that.”

The U.S. first considered a TikTok ban in 2019, two years after ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, later integrated into TikTok.

The ban follows President Biden’s April signing of a bipartisan law mandating ByteDance divest from TikTok or face a U.S. ban, citing national security concerns due to the app’s links to China. During Supreme Court arguments, Solicitor General Elizaveth Prelogar argued China could exploit U.S. user data for harassment, recruitment, and espionage. ByteDance has refused to sell TikTok, claiming the law violates its First Amendment rights and those of its 170 million American users.

The court’s decision stated, “For over 170 million Americans, TikTok provides a significant platform for expression, engagement, and community. However, Congress concluded divestiture is necessary to address well-founded national security concerns about TikTok’s data practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”

On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that due to the ban’s timing, “implementation falls to the incoming administration.” 

Trump mentioned earlier Friday that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about TikTok and other issues, stating, “President Xi and I will strive for a more peaceful and secure world.” 

Discussions about the platform’s future are ongoing. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew in December. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Chew, while acknowledging the unfavorable outcome, thanked Trump for his “commitment to finding a solution that keeps TikTok in the U.S.,” noting over 60 billion views of Trump’s content on the app. Chew confirmed the company is working to maintain the app’s U.S. availability.

Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor nominee, told Fox News, “TikTok is a great platform. We’ll find a way to preserve it while protecting user data.”