'Grateful to have support': TikTok CEO Shou Chew thanks Donald Trump amid Supreme Court ruling on app ban

TikTok CEO Shou Chew

thanked President-elect Donald Trump on Friday for supporting the company's efforts to remain available in the US. This came just hours after the Supreme Court upheld a law banning the app.
In his first public statement since the ruling, posted on TikTok, Chew said, "I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work 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."
Chew noted Trump's understanding of the platform, stating, "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."
He further expressed gratitude towards the American users he added, "To all American users, thank you for making our TikTok community such a rich and vibrant space 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. Thank you. More to come."

The message came soon after the Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the ban on TikTok, set to take effect Sunday unless the app is sold by its China-based parent company. The court ruled that the national security risks linked to TikTok's connections with China outweigh concerns about restricting free speech for the app's 170 million US users.
Meanwhile, tThe Biden administration had announced it would defer enforcement of the TikTok ban to the incoming Trump administration, potentially allowing the app to continue operating until Trump decides how to handle the situation.
Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his first term, joined the app during his 2024 campaign and vowed to "save TikTok." However, in a statement on Truth Social following the Supreme Court decision, he remained noncommittal, saying he needs time to review the situation. He said, "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"
Chew, who met with Trump in December, is expected to attend the inauguration on Monday alongside other tech executives. TikTok has not disclosed its plans for Sunday when the law goes into effect, but reports suggest the app may "go dark" as a last resort.
The ban could be enforced by fining companies that facilitate TikTok's existence in the US, such as Apple and Oracle, which have yet to comment on their plans following the court's decision.