Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Ajit Pai has voiced his support for a federal law that could lead to a ban on TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests. The Indian American, who headed the FCC during Donald Trump’s first term, has a history of opposing Chinese tech firms like Huawei. However, this time, Pai finds himself aligned with Congress and against Trump, who has shifted his stance on TikTok.
On December 28, Pai, alongside former Treasury Department official Thomas Feddo, filed a Supreme Court brief advocating for the law. The brief argued that there is legal precedent supporting the legislation passed last year, which requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or cease its U.S. operations.
Trump, however, filed his own Supreme Court brief on the same day, seeking to halt the law. His change of heart on TikTok reportedly followed a meeting with investor Jeff Yass, a major TikTok stakeholder and Trump campaign donor.
The bipartisan law, passed in April 2023, cited national security risks linked to TikTok’s Chinese ownership and gave ByteDance a nine-month deadline to divest. TikTok challenged the law, claiming it violates the First Amendment, but the DC Circuit Court upheld it. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 10, just days before the law takes effect.
Pai, despite his disagreement with Trump’s current stance, remains consistent with his earlier efforts to limit Chinese tech influence. During his FCC tenure, Pai oversaw measures against Huawei and ZTE, rolled back net neutrality, and approved the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.
Now a partner at Searchlight Capital Partners and a member of America’s Public Television Stations Board of Trustees, Pai continues to influence U.S. tech policy. His support for the TikTok ban underscores his commitment to national security and regulating foreign tech entities.
