WASHINGTON: The head of TikTok, Shou Chew, is set to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, according to reports by major US outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
This high-profile appearance comes as TikTok faces a potential nationwide ban, with the US Supreme Court expected to issue a ruling that could determine the app’s future in the United States.
Chew will add an important name to the list of tech leaders who will attend the January 20 event, including Tesla, X, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, himself founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The highly awaited judgment on TikTok arrives in the wake of a law passed by Congress last year- demanding that the app’s Chinese parent- ByteDance either divest from the platform or discontinue American operations. If upheld, the law would require tech giants Apple and Google to kick the app out of their stores, effectively cutting off any new downloads starting January 19.
As their argument goes, “by the simple passage of time,” TikTok will be legally dark by Sunday without intervention by the Supreme Court, according to attorney Noel Francisco and others. Reports also suggest that the company is preparing for a complete suspension of service in the US.
Despite the imminent deadline, President-elect Trump showed possible signs of patience regarding TikTok now. He even used the platform often to solidify his campaign message and to connect with voters. Incoming national security advisor to Trump, Mike Waltz, hinted that the new administration would seek to resolve the issue for TikTok’s operation while addressing national security concerns.
“The legislation allows for an extension as long as a viable deal is on the table,” Waltz said to Fox News. “This allows President Trump to maintain TikTok for the time being, while ensuring that users’ data is protected.”
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