President-elect Donald Trump has formally requested the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of a law that could ban TikTok in the United States, arguing that more time is needed for a political resolution to the issue.

The request follows opposing court briefs filed by TikTok and the Biden administration. TikTok has asked the Court to strike down the law, arguing it violates the First Amendment, while the Biden administration defends the statute as a necessary measure to mitigate national security risks tied to the app’s ties to China.

TikTok’s Legal Challenge

The controversy centers on a law signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024, which requires TikTok to sever ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or face a ban. The law passed Congress with bipartisan support, reflecting widespread concern over potential data and influence vulnerabilities associated with the app.

TikTok, in its Supreme Court filing, challenged a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the law. The company contends that the decision is based on speculative risks that China might pressure ByteDance to share user data or manipulate content.

“Government fears are based on hypothetical future scenarios rather than concrete evidence of misconduct,” TikTok’s attorneys stated in their brief.

National Security Concerns

The Biden administration maintains that TikTok’s integration with ByteDance and reliance on Chinese-developed technology pose an inherent risk. Officials argue that China could compel ByteDance to exploit TikTok for espionage or propaganda, though they acknowledged in court filings that no evidence exists of such actions to date.

“TikTok’s corporate structure presents a national security vulnerability, even if those risks have not yet materialized,” the government brief asserted.

Trump’s Position and Political Maneuvering

President-elect Trump, who has reversed his stance on TikTok after previously attempting to ban the app during his first term, now opposes its prohibition. His legal filing requests the Court to stay the January 19, 2025, divestment deadline, allowing time for broader deliberations.

Trump’s team effectively used TikTok during his 2024 campaign to connect with younger voters, leveraging the platform’s potential for viral outreach. Despite acknowledging potential risks, Trump has stated his preference for regulating TikTok rather than banning it outright.

Broader Implications

The case underscores ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and data security. It also highlights Trump’s proactive engagement with major policy issues ahead of his inauguration.

Oral arguments are set for January 10, and the outcome could shape the future of TikTok in the United States while setting precedents for how the government addresses foreign-owned tech platforms.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made history, surviving its closest-ever approach to the Sun. The spacecraft, which launched in 2018, passed a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the Sun’s surface on Christmas Eve, enduring extreme conditions in a mission to unravel some of the star’s biggest mysteries.

Scientists received a signal from the probe just before midnight EST on Thursday, after several days of communication silence during the fly-by. NASA confirmed that the spacecraft was “safe” and operating normally following its perilous journey through the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

The Parker Solar Probe, moving at speeds of up to 430,000 mph (692,000 km/h), experienced temperatures as high as 1,800°F (980°C) during the fly-by. Protected by a specially designed 4.5-inch thick carbon-composite shield, the spacecraft was built to withstand the intense heat and radiation as it plunged into the Sun’s corona—the outermost part of its atmosphere.

“This close-up study of the Sun allows Parker Solar Probe to take measurements that help scientists better understand how material in this region gets heated to millions of degrees, trace the origin of the solar wind, and discover how energetic particles are accelerated to near light speed,” NASA said.

Dr. Nicola Fox, NASA’s head of science, explained that, while scientists have studied the Sun for centuries, we could not fully comprehend its atmosphere until we physically explored it. “We can’t really experience the atmosphere of our star unless we fly through it,” she said.

Despite the extreme conditions, the spacecraft’s speed and shield allowed it to quickly traverse the Sun’s corona, collecting valuable data along the way. Dr. Jenifer Millard, an astronomer at Fifth Star Labs, emphasized the importance of understanding the Sun’s hot corona. “The surface of the Sun is about 6,000°C, but the corona reaches millions of degrees. Scientists have long wondered why the atmosphere gets hotter as it moves further from the Sun.”

The mission will also shed light on solar wind—the stream of charged particles ejected from the Sun’s corona. These particles can interact with Earth’s magnetic field, creating stunning auroras, but they can also disrupt power grids, communications, and satellites, making it crucial to understand space weather.

NASA’s team had been anxiously waiting for a signal from the probe as it navigated the Sun’s intense environment. Dr. Fox expressed her relief when the probe successfully sent back data. “It’s a tough, tough little spacecraft,” she said, acknowledging the mission’s high-risk nature and the engineering that made it possible.

The Parker Solar Probe has already completed 21 fly-bys of the Sun, but its Christmas Eve pass marked a major milestone in the mission, which will continue to provide critical insights into our star’s behavior.