After SCOTUS upheld the TikTok law, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeals to Donald Trump in a TikTok video to find a solution that keeps the app available in the US
Get ready for TikTok #LIVEFest2024! @Zara Larsson joins your faves to crown the top LIVE creators of the year. Kyle Eustice / AllHipHop : TikTok Ban Upheld By U.S. Supreme Court—Will Trump Save It? Alex Pigman / Agence France-Presse : US TikTok ban looms as Trump seeks last-ditch solution Diya Lal / Tech in Asia : TikTok CEO praises Trump for support amid looming ban Times of India : ‘Grateful to have support’: TikTok CEO Shou Chew thanks Donald Trump amid Supreme Court ruling on app ban Trevor Long / 9News : TikTok prepares to shut down their app in the US unless Biden makes assurances NBC News : TikTok CEO thanks Trump in video message after Supreme Court upholds ban Tomas Kassahun / Blavity News & Entertainment : TikTok CEO Shou Chew Thanks Trump ‘Committment To Work With Us To Find A Solution’ Amid Supreme Court Ruling Trisha Sengupta / Hindustan Times : TikTok CEO Shou Chew's video message for Donald Trump after US Supreme Court upholds ban Sarah Perez / Yahoo Finance : Trump comments on TikTok ban: ‘stay tuned’ Hafiz Rashid / New Republic : TikTok CEO Tries Sucking Up to Trump After Supreme Court Upholds Ban Blake Wolf / One America News Network : SCOTUS Unanimously Upholds TikTok Ban, Enforcement Left Up To Incoming Trump Administration SHINE : TikTok CEO promises to ensure platform thrives despite Supreme Court decision Ashley King / Digital Music News : Following Supreme Court Decision — And Trump's Call with the Chinese President — TikTok CEO Thanks President-Elect for Vowing to Help the App Remain in the US Andrew Hutchinson / Social Media Today : Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Sell-Off Bill in the US Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch : TikTok CEO responds to Trump, thanks him for trying to solve US ban Bluesky: Michael Alves / @mikealves : I'm surprised TikTok hasn't donated to his inauguration yet. @undersized5 : US Gov't believes TikTok allows for foreign entity to influence US policy, as a TikTok law is being floated, TikTok uses TikTok to tell people how to reach out to their congressperson. Now as SCOTUS upholds ban, TikTok uses TikTok to influence president elect. These are interesting choices. … Roger / @kwirl : Its almost like they know the incoming administration doesn't respect the rule of law Forums: r/technology : TikTok CEO flatters Trump ahead of US ban deadline
Context & Ripple Effects
TikTok had already asked the Supreme Court to halt the law, while Trump had expressed a “warm spot” for TikTok. The court’s decision removed that judicial route and made the company’s immediate path depend more heavily on political action.
Chew’s public appeal arrives as Trump says he will make the decision about TikTok and some lawmakers who backed the measure seek a delay. That shift makes TikTok’s U.S. status a live political negotiation rather than a settled court fight.
First-order effects
- TikTok and ByteDance must pursue a political remedy to preserve U.S. availability after the Supreme Court upheld the divest-or-ban framework.
- Trump becomes the central near-term audience for TikTok’s messaging, while users and creators face continued uncertainty over the app’s U.S. access.
Second-order effects
- The appeal raises pressure on congressional supporters of the law and the incoming administration to clarify whether implementation will proceed, be delayed, or be resolved through a transaction.
- TikTok’s commercial partners and creator ecosystem must plan around an unresolved operating window, while rival platforms can compete for attention amid that uncertainty.
Third-order effects
- If political intervention repeatedly determines enforcement, national-security rules governing foreign-owned platforms may become negotiated case-by-case rather than purely statutory outcomes.
- The episode reinforces a broader shift toward treating control of major consumer platforms as a policy issue alongside speech and competition, with the eventual remedy still uncertain.
The trend: TikTok’s case is part of a growing trend in which governments use ownership and national-security rules to shape the availability of major digital platforms.