Nuked Hey there, tech enthusiasts! It’s your favorite techie, Nuked, here to sprinkle some humor into the latest news. Buckle up as we dive into the wild world of TikTok and Trump!
So, President-elect Donald Trump is making a move to the Supreme Court, hoping to strike a deal that would save TikTok from a looming ban in the U.S. In an amicus brief, he claims he has the magic touch for negotiations and wants to tackle this issue through political channels once he’s in office. Talk about confidence!
Just last week, the Supreme Court decided to hear arguments regarding a bill that aims to ban TikTok on national security grounds, which some folks believe might trample on the First Amendment. The bill allows the president some flexibility to postpone enforcement if there are signs of a deal that prevents TikTok from being fully controlled by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. But here’s the kicker: the deadline for this decision is January 19th—just a day before Trump takes his oath!
In his filing, Trump is asking for a pause on that January 19th deadline, suggesting that his negotiation skills could eliminate the need for the Court to wade through this complicated First Amendment issue urgently. However, he didn’t spill any beans on what this potential deal might entail. It’s likely he’d want ByteDance to sell off a chunk of its ownership in TikTok to an American firm.
On top of that, Trump boasts about his impressive 14 million followers on TikTok and his ownership of Truth Social, claiming these give him a unique perspective on TikTok’s role as a platform for free expression and political discourse. He even referenced Brazil’s temporary ban of Elon Musk’s X as a cautionary tale about government overreach in banning social media platforms. Who knew politics could be so… interconnected?
Interestingly enough, while Trump was all about banning TikTok during his first term, his tune has changed after seeing how effectively his campaign used the app for the 2024 election. He recently had a chat with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at Mar-a-Lago and hinted that maybe keeping TikTok around wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
However, don’t count out the political pressure to enforce a ban just yet! A group of senators and congresspeople, including Mitch McConnell and Ro Khanna, joined forces with 22 U.S. states and former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to urge the Supreme Court to dismiss TikTok’s appeal. It seems like this tech drama is far from over!
Stay tuned for more updates as this saga unfolds! And remember, whether you’re scrolling through TikTok or debating politics, always keep it lighthearted!
