TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is reportedly seeking advice from American businessman Elon Musk regarding the second term of elected President Donald Trump, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Musk supported Trump last summer and has maintained a close relationship with the president-elect since then. He even stayed at Mar-a-Lago after the election and joined Trump in calls with leaders like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Chew has reportedly reached out to Musk, the owner of X, multiple times to ask about the new administration and possible technology policies under Trump, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. TikTok's future in the U.S. is currently in limbo, with the platform appealing a ruling and suing the Biden administration—citing the First Amendment—over a new law signed by President Biden that would ban the social media platform in the U.S. unless its parent company, ByteDance, severs ties with China by January.
During his presidency, Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok in the U.S., but reversed his stance during the election campaign, telling CNBC earlier this year that Congress should "make that decision, as it’s a tough decision to make." However, he did express concerns about national security.
Trump also joined TikTok in June, posting a video on Truth Social saying, “Those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump.” He added, "We will not do anything with TikTok," and also said on TikTok, "I will keep TikTok."
Trump is reportedly planning to lift the ban when he assumes office, according to The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources. The law addresses national security concerns over the Chinese government potentially accessing U.S. user data and influencing the popular app. Executives at ByteDance have also engaged with Vice President Kamala Harris’s team before the election, according to the paper.
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