On Sunday, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order to delay the federal ban on TikTok. This announcement came just hours after major app stores removed the popular social media platform, leaving it inaccessible to U.S. users.

“I’m urging companies to prevent TikTok from going offline,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “On Monday, I will issue an executive order to extend the deadline before the law’s restrictions take effect, allowing us time to negotiate a deal that ensures our national security.”
The ban originates from a 2024 law mandating app stores and cloud providers to cease hosting or distributing TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app. Lawmakers pushed the legislation due to concerns that the Chinese government could exploit TikTok’s massive U.S. user base—approximately 170 million—for data collection or propaganda.

Non-compliance with the law exposes app stores and cloud providers to substantial financial penalties. However, Trump’s Sunday post assured these companies that they would not face liabilities for keeping TikTok operational prior to his order. The executive order would signify a critical development in the battle over TikTok’s future, a platform that has significantly influenced social media, culture, and the livelihoods of countless influencers and small businesses.

Despite this move, Trump’s executive order may encounter legal hurdles, including challenges regarding the limits of his authority to block the enforcement of a federal law. Companies covered by the law might also question whether the order provides sufficient protection against penalties for violations.
The law permits a president to grant a 90-day extension if a buyer is identified, but only if “significant progress” is made toward transferring TikTok’s ownership to a non-Chinese entity. Additionally, the sale must be finalized within the 90-day window for the extension to apply. It remains uncertain whether this option is still viable, as the law has already taken effect.
In his Sunday post, Trump proposed that the U.S. could take a 50% ownership stake in a joint venture involving TikTok, though he did not elaborate on this idea. TikTok, however, has argued that a sale is unfeasible due to the nature of its global operations. China has also indicated it would block the export of the platform’s critical video recommendation technology.
Discover more from BS MEDIA KE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.