The CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, has responded to comments made by Donald Trump about a recent decision by the Supreme Court to potentially ban the app in the United States.
In a video shared on TikTok, Chew expressed gratitude to Trump, saying, “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, 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.” Essentially, Chew is thanking Trump for trying to help keep TikTok running in the U.S. and for standing up for free speech.
TikTok seems to be counting on Trump’s support to help keep the app legal in the U.S. Trump has been portraying himself as a hero for TikTok, stating on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he is in talks with China’s President Xi Jinping to find a way to save TikTok from being banned.
Chew added, “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.” This means that Chew believes Trump understands how TikTok works and appreciates its value, especially since Trump himself has used the app to share his views and has gained a huge audience.
Chew reassured TikTok users by saying, “Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives … More to come.” This means that TikTok is committed to doing whatever it can to continue operating successfully.
Earlier that same day, the Supreme Court decided that the ban on TikTok would go ahead, but there is still some uncertainty about whether TikTok will actually stop working for users in the U.S. this Sunday. It’s unclear if the app will shut down immediately or if it will wait to see if Trump can negotiate a solution to keep it running.
In the meantime, here are some TikTok alternatives for you to check out.
