Payam Javan: President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to block a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S., citing his intent to negotiate a resolution addressing national security concerns while preserving the platform. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on January 10, just days before TikTok’s parent company faces a January 19 deadline to divest or face a U.S. ban. Trump, in a December 27 amicus brief, argued that the timing of the law undermines the executive branch’s authority and his ability to address the issue as incoming president.

The bipartisan law, signed by President Joe Biden earlier this year, was upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court, which ruled it met First Amendment scrutiny. TikTok challenged the law and sought intervention from the Supreme Court after the D.C. Circuit declined to halt its implementation. The Justice Department defended the law, citing national security threats posed by TikTok’s data practices and potential misuse by the Chinese government. Trump expressed concern about the law’s impact on TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users, warning of a potential “slippery slope” toward global censorship of social media speech.

The case has drawn significant attention, with amicus briefs filed by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and former national security officials. While Trump did not take a stance on the First Amendment aspects of the law, he emphasized the importance of presidential discretion in managing foreign policy and security matters. Meanwhile, TikTok’s appeal to the Supreme Court underscores the stakes for its U.S. operations, as the platform looks to avoid a ban amid ongoing scrutiny over its ties to China.