TikTok is facing a possible ban in the US that could go into effect just one day before the new administration takes the Oval Office – and its fate depends on legal battles, political maneuvering and President-elect Donald Trump.
What happened to the TikTok ban?
In short: We are waiting.
In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill that gave ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, nine months to find a new owner or be banned from the US, meaning app stores like Apple and Google and internet hosting companies could face sanctions from government if they distribute or update TikTok. TikTok responded to the possible ban in court by suing the government in May, calling the law unconstitutional because company claims “is subject to a single speech platform, with a name in permanent, nationwide ban, and prevents every American from participating in the unique Internet community of more than 1 billion people worldwide.”
While the case is ongoing, the January 19 deadline is fast approaching. That suit would help give TikTok freedom, suspending the ban until Trump is inaugurated and has the power to stop it.
Can Trump save TikTok?
Trump has expressed his views on TikTok, from attempts to block it in 2020 to announcing that “I will save TikTok” in the 2024 campaign. The president-elect, who was once the biggest enemy of the program. , now painted as its savior.
Mashable Light Speed
Trump can actually, at least, delay the ban from being implemented. Under the Act to Protect Americans from Claims Controlled by Foreign Enemies, the president can extend the deadline by 90 days if there has been “significant progress toward the sale.” Four people close to Trump say he will try to prevent it from happening, according to a report from I Washington Post.
Here’s how the TikTok ban could play out in the courts
However, to completely remove the law, Trump would need approval from Congress, which is not a clear path to success. The original legislation was passed with broad bipartisan support – 352 in favor in the House of Representatives and 79 in the Senate. Without the support of Congress, he will have to ask his new attorney general – Matt Gaetz – to refuse to implement the law.
TikTok is quiet
In the past, attempts at bans (ie, Trump’s 2020 executive order) have caused outrage among users and creators on the platform. But, lately, it’s been strangely quiet on the app — and it’s not just the creators who don’t seem as surprised as you’d expect.
ByteDance’s the price is set at $300 billionone of your highest ratings to date, on Sunday. Again The New York Times reports that employees seem more confident, too. “Within TikTok, there has been little acknowledgment that the company may soon be closed in the United States, despite the thousands of workers here, according to four employees who have been speaking on condition of anonymity, citing non-disclosure agreements. Management has, at times. , made it easier for a possible ban, suggesting in one meeting of all hands that one day it will be the subject of a Hollywood film, the three employees said, ” Times report.
One thing is clear: Despite the calm reports from the app, things are still very much up in the air for the future of TikTok.
