TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s video message for Donald Trump after US Supreme Court upholds ban

TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s video message for Donald Trump after US Supreme Court upholds ban

TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s video message for Donald Trump after US Supreme Court upholds ban ByTrisha Sengupta Jan 18, 2025 06:09 AM IST Share Via Copy Link TikTok CEO Shou Chew released a video following the court’s decision to uphold the law that can potentially ban the app in America.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew shared a video message across various social media platforms following the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law banning TikTok in the United States. The court ruled that the federal government can legally shut down the app in the country, adding that the ban on national security grounds will be imposed if the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell it.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with Donald Trump back in December 2024. (AFP, File photo)

"We conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate the petitioners' First Amendment rights," the court said, reported CBS News.

In his speech, Chew talked about fighting to protect the “constitutional right to free speech for more than 170 million Americans” who use the platform daily. He also thanked "President Trump” for his “commitment” to working with the company to find a solution to “keep TikTok available in the United States.”

“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,” Chew continued.

The court’s ruling:

"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary," the court said, reported CBS News.

"The challenged provisions further an important government interest unrelated to the suppression of free expression and do not burden substantially more speech than necessary to further that interest," the court added.

This impending ban on the Chinese short video-sharing site has prompted thousands of US users to shift to another Chinese social media platform called Rednote. It became the top free-to-download app on the US Apple App Store this Monday.