Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said TikTok’s looming ban in the U.S. should remain intact unless the popular app used by 170 million Americans is sold by Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Many anticipated the Supreme Court to issue an opinion Wednesday on the new federal law set to take effect Sunday after hearing arguments last week in which the company contended the ban is a violation of the free speech First Amendment.
No other dates have been scheduled by the court to release opinions, but the court isn’t bound to any schedule.
“I strongly favor the TikTok ban,” Cassidy said in response to a question from USA Today Network. “There is a lot of evidence the Chinese Communist Party has used TikTok to influence public opinion in a way which is against our national interests.”
The new law was passed last spring with strong Republican support and signed into law by Democratic President Joe Biden.
Lawmakers believe ByteDance could be sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government.
Cassidy noted that TikTok can remain in business in the U.S. if it’s sold to a company or person who isn’t considered a national security threat.
“We can still have TikTok,” Cassidy said. “I don’t watch TikTok, but I’m told it’s a great venue for most things, but when it’s used as a propaganda tool by the Chinese Communist Party that’s something we should reject.”
Republican President-elect Donald Trump once supported the ban but has since reversed course, asking the court last month to pause the law to give his administration “the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case.”
At least one media report said Trump is considering issuing an executive order to temporarily lift the ban.
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Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana senator’s take on TikTok: Did Supreme Court rule on ban?