President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the implementation of a law that could ban TikTok or require its sale. The law mandates that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, must sell the platform to an American company by January 19 or face a ban. This deadline is set just one day before Trump takes office, and he has requested that the court delay the divestment deadline while considering the case, allowing his administration time to pursue a political resolution.

The law was passed by Congress in April, with TikTok’s future hanging in the balance if ByteDance doesn’t comply. With over 170 million U.S. users, TikTok has challenged the law, seeking to have it overturned. If the court doesn’t rule in their favor, the app may be banned in the U.S. by January 19. Trump's position on TikTok marks a shift from his stance in 2020, when he attempted to block the app and force a sale due to its Chinese ownership.

Trump has met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and expressed support for the app, mentioning that he had garnered billions of views on TikTok during his campaign. TikTok has countered claims of Chinese influence, stating that U.S. user data is stored in U.S. servers and content decisions are made in the U.S. The Justice Department argues that TikTok’s Chinese ties present national security concerns, a view supported by most lawmakers.