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The TikTok Ban and Its Implications

Introduction:

This document provides an overview of the recent developments surrounding the TikTok ban in the United States, following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a federal law mandating the sale of the app by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide ban. This briefing covers the key legal and political events, the human impact of the ban, and the potential long-term consequences on social media and international relations.

Key Events and Timeline:

• The Bipartisan Law: A law was passed requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok by a specified deadline, or the app would be banned in the U.S. The law allowed for a 90-day extension under specific conditions.
• Supreme Court Ruling (January 17, 2025): The Supreme Court upheld the law, rejecting arguments that it violated the First Amendment rights of users and the app itself. This ruling paved the way for the ban to take effect on January 19th. The Court accepted the government’s national security argument regarding TikTok’s Chinese ownership.
• TikTok Shutdown (January 18, 2025): TikTok proactively shut down its U.S. operations shortly before the ban was set to take effect, displaying a message to users indicating it was "temporarily unavailable" due to a newly enacted ban.
• Trump's Potential Intervention: President-elect Donald Trump, despite having previously attempted to ban TikTok during his first term, has indicated his intention to address the ban once he takes office, "most likely" by utilizing the option of a 90-day extension allowed in the law. He has also stated he might delay the ban by executive order.
• Possible Extension: The legislation allows for a 90-day extension if there is “significant progress” toward a divestiture and binding agreements are in place.
• Canadian Government position: Canada's government has stated that the US TikTok ban will not impact its own moves to curtail TikTok's business, despite TikTok also seeking a judicial review in Canada against a Canadian Government decision to shut it down.

Key Themes and Issues:

1. Reversal of Trump's Position:

• During his first term, Trump attempted to ban both TikTok and WeChat via executive order, which was blocked by courts.
• Trump's recent change of heart was influenced by a meeting with one of the app’s American billionaire investors, Jeff Yass.
• Trump has also publicly supported the app due to its high number of views on his accounts and as a platform that helped him garner youth votes, particularly from young men, in the 2024 election. As Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokesperson put it: "There's no better deal maker than Donald Trump.”

1. National Security Concerns:

• The U.S. government's primary concern centers on the potential for the Chinese government to access user data collected by TikTok. The concern is that this could potentially lead to man

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