As TikTok battles for existence in US, CEO Shou Chew thanks President Donald Trump for ‘commitment’ | Watch viral video

As ByteDance-owned TikTok battles to continue its presence in the American market after the United States Supreme Court ruled in favour of the law banning the platform on national security concerns, CEO Shou Chew addressed user and incoming US President-elect Donald Trump on the issue.

In the social media post, Shou first thanked users and reiterated that a ban on TikTok would violate the US' constitutional right to free speech. “We've been fighting to protect the constitutional right to free speech for the more than 170 million Americans who use our platform every day to connect, create, discover and achieve their dreams,” he said.

‘Thank President Trump for his Committment…’

Chew expressed thanks to Trump for his committment to working with the company and taking a stand for freedom of speech. “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to working with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” the TikTok CEO said.

He further pointed out that Trump himself has built a huge platform on TikTok, “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.”

‘7 Million US Business on Platform’

He also sought to emphasise that TikTok provides livelihood to millions of Americans as they base their business out reach on the platform, “As we've said, TikTok is a place where people can create communities, discover new interests and express themselves — including over 7 million American businesses that earn a living and gain new customers using our platform.”

Chew also resolved to do “everything in our power” to stay in the US, telling users: “To our American users, thank you for making our TikTok community such a rich and vibrant space and for surprising and delighting us every day. Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as your online home for limitless creativity and discovery, as well as a source of inspiration and joy for years to come.”

Background of TikTok's Troubles in the US

The US Supreme Court on January 17 upheld a law that could force TikTok to shut down in the US in a unanimous ruling, according to an AFP report. The SC found the law does not violate free speech rights and created uncertainty about what will happen when the ban takes effect on January 19.

The court agreed with the government's national security concerns about Chinese company ByteDance's ownership of the app, the report added. The White House-backed legislation, was passed overwhelmingly by Congress last year.

ByteDance has firmly rejected selling its US operation, a stance also taken by Beijing, which has denounced the law as theft.

Even if the ban now stands, the Biden White House said it won't enforce it, leaving the matter to Trump — who opposes the ban and discussed TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jnauary 17. “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social as he said he would need time to find an alternative to the ban.

Trump's incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News the administration would work “to keep TikTok from going dark”, noting the law allows a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress toward “a viable deal”.

(With inputs from AFP)