**Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause TikTok Ban**
President-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to delay a potential ban on social media app TikTok. The request was made as the Biden administration and TikTok itself prepared for oral arguments in the case.
**Background of the Case**
The dispute centers around a law signed by President Joe Biden that requires TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, to sell its US operations or face a ban. TikTok has argued that this law unconstitutionally restricts speech and violates the First Amendment.
**Trump’s Request**
In a brief submitted to the court, Trump asked for a stay on the January 19 deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company. Trump’s team argues that he wants to pursue “political resolution” to the issue rather than seeing it go through the courts.
**Change of Heart on TikTok**
This is not the first time Trump has taken an interest in TikTok. In his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump used the app to connect with younger voters, and his team promoted content aimed at going viral. However, earlier this year, Trump said he still believed there were national security risks associated with TikTok.
**Arguments Before the Court**
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on January 10 in the case. The Biden administration has argued that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China and the possibility of Chinese authorities compelling ByteDance to hand over information about US users. However, TikTok argues that there is no evidence this has happened before.
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