UPDATE: In a surprising twist, President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that he may grant TikTok a 90-day extension to avert an imminent ban. During a conversation with NBC News, Trump stated that he has not yet made a final decision but is leaning towards offering TikTok this reprieve. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday," he noted.
The original tale continues:
As the clock ticks down, the TikTok controversy is reaching a critical juncture. With over 170 million monthly active users in the United States, the app has garnered immense popularity. However, U.S. lawmakers have raised alarms over the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, allegedly collecting user data, particularly from minors, and potentially sharing it with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Additionally, concerns have surfaced about the app's capability to disseminate propaganda among American youths.
The last two presidents, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, have expressed the desire for TikTok to be sold to an American company. In August 2020, Trump threatened a ban, and Biden later enacted legislation giving TikTok until January 19 to secure an American buyer or face closure. In an ironic shift, Trump has developed a fondness for TikTok, crediting it with elevating his platform and engaging the youth electorate.
This morning, TikTok’s efforts faced another setback as the Supreme Court opted not to overturn the bill signed by Biden, which has placed TikTok in jeopardy. The court ruled that the legislation does not violate First Amendment rights. Various lawmakers have sought ways to delay any ban while searching for a U.S. buyer. A possible candidate for acquisition could be Elon Musk, who could integrate TikTok into his platform, X, thereby removing it from the ownership of ByteDance.
“TikTok’s scale and vulnerability to foreign adversary influence, combined with the extensive sensitive data collected by the platform, warrants special considerations to address government national security concerns.” - U.S. Supreme Court
Given Musk’s previous support for Trump, now might be an opportune moment for him to engage with TikTok's owners. If Musk were to express interest and initiate meaningful discussions with ByteDance, it could activate a provision in the legislation that allows for a 90-day extension in shutting down the app, as long as TikTok can demonstrate it is actively pursuing a sale that relinquishes ByteDance's ownership. Significant progress, backed by "relevant binding legal agreements," must also be showcased.
TikTok shares its latest statement on social media. | Image credit-X
On Friday, TikTok released a statement highlighting that the Biden administration and the Department of Justice have "failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok's availability to over 170 million Americans." TikTok cautioned that "unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement ensuring non-enforcement, unfortunately, TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19."
