As the United States prepares for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, a significant decision looms over one of the world's most popular social media platforms: TikTok. Trump has indicated that he will \"most likely\" grant TikTok a 90-day extension, offering the app a brief reprieve before any further actions are taken.
During an interview with NBC News, Trump stated that a final decision hasn't been made yet, but a 90-day extension of the impending Sunday deadline is under consideration. \"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate,\" he explained. \"We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation.\"
The backdrop to this potential extension is a bill signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024, which mandates that ByteDance, the Chinese mainland parent company of TikTok, must sell the platform to a non-Chinese company within 270 days. Failure to comply would result in TikTok being banned across the United States after January 19, 2025.
Last Friday, the United States Supreme Court upheld the bill, solidifying the requirement for ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a nationwide ban starting that Sunday, just days before Trump's inauguration.
In response to the Supreme Court's decision, the White House released a statement emphasizing that \"TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law.\"
\"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday,\" the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, TikTok has warned that it may cease operations for its 170 million U.S. users on Sunday unless the Biden Administration provides a \"definitive\" assurance regarding the platform's future in the country.
\"Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,\" the company asserted.
As the new administration takes charge, the fate of TikTok hangs in the balance, with implications for millions of users and the broader landscape of social media platforms in the United States.
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Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension
cgtn.com
