The decision to enforce or extend the ban will now fall to President-elect Donald Trump…reports Asian Lite News
President Joe Biden will not enforce a nationwide ban on TikTok before leaving office, according to a senior US official. The ban, set to take effect on January 19, just a day before Biden’s departure from the White House, would require ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest its US operations on national security grounds.
The decision to enforce or extend the ban will now fall to President-elect Donald Trump, who won the November election and is set to begin his second term on January 20. While Trump previously sought to ban TikTok during his first term, he later embraced the platform during his 2024 campaign, crediting it for helping him gain significant support among younger voters.
A law signed by Biden last year mandated TikTok’s divestment or risk of being banned in the US, one of its largest markets. However, bipartisan efforts to extend the deadline have faced hurdles. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer recently urged Biden to provide more time for an American buyer to emerge, citing the platform’s widespread popularity and economic impact.
“It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and avoid disrupting millions of lives, including influencers who rely on TikTok,” Schumer stated.
Despite these appeals, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, blocked legislation to extend the deadline, asserting that TikTok has had sufficient time to comply.
As TikTok’s future in the US hangs in the balance, the incoming Trump administration will determine whether to enforce the ban or explore alternatives to address national security concerns while preserving the platform’s availability.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that TikTok is preparing to shut down its operations in the United States this Sunday if a planned ban by lawmakers goes ahead.
According to the report, under the terms of the ban, users would still be able to use the app for a short time, but it would eventually stop working because app stores and internet services would no longer be allowed to offer updates.
Once the ban takes effect, users will likely see a message directing them to a statement explaining the situation. They will also be given instructions on how to download their data before the app becomes unusable.
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