The platform is about to shut down for 170 million American users the day before the inauguration of the American president-elect
According to . President-elect Donald Trump is considering issuing an executive order delaying enforcement of a U.S. law ordering the sale or shutdown of TikTok, potentially giving the favored social media platform a short lived respite.
The current regulations, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last yr, require ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest from its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025. Failure to comply will lead to TikTok being faraway from the U.S. app stores and lack of access to crucial infrastructure, effectively ceasing operations within the country.
Trump was reportedly considering potentially issuing an executive order that may extend the execution deadline by 60 to 90 days, which might allow for further negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing two people accustomed to the matter.
TikTok has already laid out a plan for 170 million U.S. users on Sunday. According to anonymous sources cited by Reuters, the app would greet American users with a pop-up message explaining the ban and providing an option to download their data. This move would transcend legal requirements that allow existing users to proceed using the app without having to download recent files.
The Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling on TikTok’s infringement grievance. During recent oral arguments, the justices appeared to prioritize national security concerns over potential consequences without cost speech.
During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok, citing national security risks from its Chinese ownership. However, throughout the last campaign he modified his mind, stating:
Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in December, further signaling a change in his attitude toward the platform. Trump’s legal team also asked the Supreme Court to halt implementation of the ban, searching for additional time to discover a political solution.
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