TikTok Ban Hangs in Balance as Trump Shifts Stance for 2024
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TikTok's future in the United States faces uncertainty following the 2024 presidential election. Current law requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January 2025 or face a U.S. ban, affecting 170 million American users.
President-elect Donald Trump has shifted his stance since 2020, now expressing support for keeping TikTok operational in America. This change followed lobbying efforts by ByteDance investor Jeff Yass, with Trump stating in a September campaign video that voting for him would help "save TikTok."
TikTok is currently challenging the ban through legal channels:
- A case is pending in the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals
- The company may escalate to the Supreme Court if necessary
- Legal proceedings could delay implementation until summer 2025
Legal experts note the case's significance due to First Amendment implications and its impact on millions of Americans. Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, suggests the Supreme Court may likely hear the case given its recent interest in digital First Amendment matters.
TikTok maintains neutrality in the political discourse while its employees report minimal internal discussion about the potential ban. The platform continues normal operations as legal proceedings unfold, with many employees expecting a lengthy court battle before any final decisions are implemented.
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