U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he’s “most likely” to grant TikTok a 90-day extension on Inauguration Day, potentially delaying the app’s ban in the United States. With the deadline looming on Sunday, Trump’s statement offers a glimmer of hope for the 170 million TikTok users across the country.
“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,” Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News. “We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.”
In April 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill requiring ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app to a non-Chinese company within 270 days. Failure to comply would result in the app being banned in the U.S. after January 19, 2025.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this law, setting the stage for TikTok’s potential shutdown starting Sunday, just a day before Trump’s inauguration.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the White House released a statement: “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 added.
TikTok responded by stating it will be forced to shut down its services in the U.S. unless the Biden Administration provides a “definitive” assurance.
“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 said.
As millions of users await the app’s fate, the situation underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding technology, security, and international relations.
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Trump says he will 'most likely' give TikTok a 90-day extension
cgtn.com
