The Only Person Who Can Save TikTok

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. TikTok’s future in the United States is as shaky as it’s ever been—and its political fate may come down to Donald Trump, the man who originally tried to ban it years ago. Earlier this year, Congress passed a law banning TikTok in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests from the app—though lawmakers like Sen. Richard Blumenthal insist it’s not a ban but rather a “forced transition of ownership.” This was the culmination of a yearslong effort initiated by Donald Trump in 2020 when he unsuccessfully tried to ban the app through executive order until a federal judge stopped him and said he was likely exceeding his authority under the law. Attorney General Merrick Garland celebrated the decision, calling it “an important step in blocking the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to collect sensitive information about millions of Americans, to covertly manipulate the content delivered to American audiences, and to undermine our national security.” On Dec. 9, TikTok filed an emergency injunction that would temporarily block the ban from taking effect until the Supreme Court can weigh in on its constitutionality. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, put it best in response to the appeals court’s decision: “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad.” Donald Trump once piloted a ban of TikTok, but has since flip-flopped on the issue because one of his biggest donors, Jeffrey Yass, is a major investor in the app.