Sci & Tech
Trump Says He Will “Most Likely” Give TikTok A 90-Day Extension To Avoid A Ban
The law passed last year with bipartisan support. It required ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to either sell the app to a new, non-Chinese entity or face a ban in the United States.
TikTok could go dark in the United States on Sunday, pulling itself offline after the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform — but it could be back as early as Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump said he will “most likely” delay a ban on TikTok for 90 days after he takes office on Monday but noted he has not made a final decision in a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday.
“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. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said in the interview.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he added.
The suggestion of an extension is the latest twist in a saga that’s dragged on for months, leaving the fate of the app — with its 170 million US users — in limbo.
The law passed last year with bipartisan support. It required ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to either sell the app to a new, non-Chinese entity or face a ban in the United States.
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump asked the court to hit pause on the law, asking for some time for his administration to work on finding alternative solutions to banning the app.
In the wake of the ruling Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”
In the past, he has signaled his support for letting the app remain available to users in the U.S., citing the high number of views his TikTok accounts receive.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony Monday, along with other tech executives.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington, D.C., in 2023.Nathan Posner / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images file
On Friday, TikTok’s future remained uncertain, as Chew thanked Trump for his efforts to keep the app running in the U.S.
Even before the Supreme Court’s ruling, Biden administration officials signaled that they would not enforce the law on Sunday, the last day of Biden’s term.
Trump’s support for TikTok is a sharp reversal from his stance during his first term, when Trump signed executive orders to ban not only TikTok but also the Chinese messaging app WeChat. Trump’s attempt at the time was blocked by the courts. His reversal came after he met briefly with one of the app’s billionaire American investors last year.
Lawmakers who have supported a sale or ban say some action is necessary because of ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government, which they say shouldn’t have control of a major media property that could be used for propaganda purposes. They also cite the app’s collection of personal data from American citizens.
TikTok’s fans have protested the possible sale or ban, including by downloading other Chinese apps such as RedNote despite potential security concerns about those apps, too.
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