TikTok’s CEO is expected to join other tech leaders at Trump’s inauguration, amid ongoing scrutiny of the app’s future in the U.S.
New York: So, it looks like TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is gearing up to attend President Trump’s inauguration. He’ll be sitting alongside some big names in tech, like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. This info comes from NBC News, which got the scoop from some sources close to the situation.
Also on the guest list is Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai. NBC reached out to both TikTok and Google for comments, but TikTok declined to say anything, and Google hasn’t responded yet.
The New York Times was the first to mention Chew’s attendance, citing two insiders. This news comes just as TikTok faces a potential ban in the U.S. If the Chinese-owned app doesn’t sell its U.S. operations to an American company, it might disappear from app stores like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, hasn’t agreed to sell, and the Supreme Court hasn’t made a clear decision after hearing arguments about the ban last Friday. Interestingly, Trump filed a brief with the Supreme Court, asking them to block the ban and suggesting a political solution instead, though the details are a bit fuzzy.
Trump has had a change of heart about TikTok in the past, even using it as a campaign tool that helped him win the presidency. Meanwhile, President Biden’s team is also looking into ways to keep TikTok running in the U.S. if the ban goes through this Sunday.
