In a surprising development, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has been invited to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration to be held on January 20.
New York Times reported that Chew has been invited to sit in a position of honour on the dais that is typically reserved for former US presidents, family members and other important guests.
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other influential tech executives are among the prominent tech leaders, which are reported to attend the inauguration.
The invitation is significant, in the backdrop of possible closure of the China-backed short-video platform’s operations in the US, with a federal ban expected to take effect unless a last-minute reprieve occurs.
The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump is considering an executive order to delay the shutdown for 60 to 90 days.
Trump’s support for TikTok is a reversal from 2020, when he tried to ban the app in the US and force its sale to US firms. The president-elect became more favorable toward TikTOK platform last year, especially after his campaign gained traction on the app during the election.
