TikTok played a unique role in Trump’s presidential campaign after his son Baron urged him to use it to reach out to a younger crowd. This was a surprising turn of events after Trump’s past criticism of the platform.

President-elect Donald Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to discuss the upcoming U.S. ban on the video-sharing app and expressed having a “warm spot” for the app at a news conference the same day.

The platform, which is used by an estimated 170 million Americans, is a favorite among teenagers and entrepreneurs who take advantage of its ease of use, viral content, community engagement and global reach – regardless of whether or not China is keeping track of their personal data – which they most likely are.

The “Tik Tok ban” in the U.S. is the result of congressional action taken in the United States (and signed by President Biden). In April 2024, the U.S. Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. That’s one day before the election – obviously Biden didn’t want a national revolt on his hands while running for re-election.

The ban is centered around concerns over data privacy, national security, and potential influence operations by the Chinese government.

On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld PAFACA, rejecting TikTok’s arguments that the law violates the First Amendment and other constitutional protections.

Following the appeals court decision, TikTok filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court on December 16, 2024, seeking to block the enforcement of the ban pending further legal review. The company argues that the ban would cause irreparable harm to its business and infringe on the free speech rights of its approximately 170 million American users.

The Supreme Court announced Wednesday it will take up a case challenging a ban on the widely-used TikTok app, with oral arguments set to begin on January 10.

Additionally, a group of content creators has filed a separate lawsuit challenging the ban, asserting that it would violate their First Amendment rights by eliminating a platform essential for their expression and livelihoods.

Can Trump do anything about the TikTok ban since it’s an act of Congress?

NBC says that Trump could have his incoming AG Pam Bondi at the DOJ decline to enforce the ban or have the Executive Branch “interpret” the statute in a way that he wants it to be interpreted. NBC says that Trump has a “lot of power” with the situation as to how (and to what extent) he chooses to enforce the ban should it go into effect.