TikTok CEO Shou Chew on Friday thanked President-elect Donald Trump for supporting the company's efforts to remain available to U.S. users.
In a video posted to TikTok, his first public statement since the Supreme Court upheld a law banning the app just hours earlier, Chew praised Trump's recent support.
“I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” he said. “This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”
Chew continued: “We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.”
The statement was posted shortly after the Biden administration announced Friday that it would punt enforcement of the TikTok ban to the Trump administration.
The White House's decision to withhold any enforcement action Sunday, the day the law goes into effect, potentially leaves the door open for TikTok to continue to exist uninterrupted until there is more clarity around how Trump will enforce or handle the ban.
During his first term as president, Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok, but during his 2024 campaign, Trump joined TikTok and changed his position on the app, saying he would "save TikTok" in a June video.
But on Friday, Trump issued a noncommittal statement on Truth Social, writing, "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"
Trump met with Chew in December and said he had "a warm spot" for the app. Chew is expected to attend Trump's inauguration Monday and sit with other tech executives in attendance.
TikTok has not said what its plans are for the app on Sunday, but NBC News reported that the app has been preparing to "go dark" as a last resort.
The law banning TikTok could be enforced by imposing fines on companies that host and facilitate TikTok's existence in the United States, such as Apple, with its App Store, and Oracle, which hosts American TikTok data. Those companies have yet to issue statements on how they plan to proceed now that the ban has been affirmed.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
