TikTok’s U.S. Operations Get Unexpected Lifeline as Trump Steps In
The social media platform finds new hope amid ban controversy through presidential intervention.
The fate of TikTok in the United States has taken a dramatic turn as President-Elect Donald Trump emerges as an unexpected ally for the social media platform. The development comes at a crucial moment, with Trump reportedly planning to address the platform’s future during a victory rally preceding his inauguration, where TikTok’s CEO is expected to be present.
The social media giant briefly went offline across the United States on January 18, just ahead of a Congressional ban deadline. However, the platform partially resumed operations within 24 hours, leaving its 170 million daily U.S. users in a state of uncertainty about its future.
According to CNN, Trump’s administration is preparing an executive order that would extend the platform’s operation by 90 days. This intervention follows a bipartisan Congressional vote from spring 2024 that mandated TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. Despite ByteDance’s legal challenges, the Supreme Court recently upheld the ban, making Trump’s intervention particularly significant.
In an interesting shift from his previous stance, Trump has become an advocate for TikTok’s continued operation in the U.S. This marks a notable departure from 2020, when he signed an executive order attempting to ban the platform – an order that was later suspended by a federal judge and subsequently reversed during the Biden administration. The current President Biden has also adopted a more conciliatory approach, indicating he would not enforce the ban during his final day in office.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has publicly acknowledged Trump’s support through a video message on the platform, characterizing it as “a strong stand for the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” While the platform currently experiences limited functionality, Chew’s message remains accessible to users. The exact details of the long-term solution being developed between Trump and TikTok’s leadership, including whether ByteDance will need to sell its stake, remain unclear.