TikTok CEO Shou Chew is set to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, a high-stakes moment for the social media giant as it faces the threat of a U.S. ban.
Chew will join an elite group of tech leaders at the event, including Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
This is according to reports by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
The timing of Chew’s appearance could not be more critical.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to deliver its decision on a law passed last year that mandates TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the platform or shut down its operations in the United States.
If upheld, the law will take effect just a day before Trump assumes office.
TikTok’s legal team has confirmed that the platform will “go dark” on Sunday if the ban is not blocked.
The app’s removal would mean that Apple and Google would be required to eliminate TikTok from their app stores, preventing millions of new downloads.
Reports suggest the company is preparing for a full suspension of its U.S. services.
During his campaign, Trump expressed strong support for saving TikTok, recognizing its immense popularity among American users.
Sources close to the president-elect say he is exploring options to stall the ban or implement alternative measures to keep the platform accessible.
Once in office, Trump’s attorney general will have significant influence over the law’s enforcement.
The administration could choose to delay or outright refuse to execute the ban, despite overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for the legislation.
Chew’s attendance at the inauguration sends a powerful message about TikTok’s commitment to maintaining its U.S. presence.
However, the platform’s fate hangs in the balance as legal and political forces converge.
As the clock ticks down, millions of users, creators, and businesses that rely on TikTok await the Supreme Court’s ruling and Trump’s decision.
Whether the app will survive this tumultuous period remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: TikTok’s future is now inextricably tied to the incoming administration.
