DOJ requests that Supreme Court reject Trump's call to delay upcoming TikTok ban

The court has to issue a ruling before Jan. 19, which will determine whether or not U.S. citizens have access to the app.

Published: January 4, 2025 4:22pm

Updated: January 5, 2025 3:32am

The Department of Justice on Friday called on the U.S. Supreme Court to ignore President-elect Donald Trump's request to postpone a ban on TikTok in the U.S., scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 19, a day before he is set to be inaugurated as president. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the social media app is a threat to America's national security.

“TikTok’s collection of reams of sensitive data 2 about 170 million Americans and their contacts makes it a powerful tool for espionage, and TikTok’s role as a key channel of communication makes it a potent weapon for covert influence operations,” Garland said in the brief, according to The Hill.

The case on whether or not to ban the TikTok social media app, owned by the Chinese-based company ByteDance, was taken up by the Supreme Court.

Trump requested a delay in the court's ruling, saying he could come up with a compromise with TikTok CEO Shou Chew in order to keep the platform.

Trump admitted last month to having a "warm spot" for the app. "I won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that," Trump said.

“That divestiture requirement is entirely consistent with the First Amendment and with our Nation’s tradition of barring or restricting foreign control of communications channels and other critical infrastructure,” Garland's statement continued. “In arguing otherwise, petitioners portray the Act as an effort to suppress disfavored views.”

The court has to issue a ruling before Jan. 19, which will determine whether or not U.S. citizens will continue to have access to the app.

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