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TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has until Sunday (Jan. 19) to sell the platform under federal legislation signed by President Joe Biden or face a ban. However, on Thursday (Jan. 16), the Biden administration reassured the app’s 170 million American users that the government restriction will not take effect immediately.
“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” the administration said in an official statement, according to NBC News. Officials noted they are “exploring options” to make sure the platform does not vanish instantly if ByteDance decides not to sell to one of its many potential buyers.
It is worth mentioning that Biden’s term ends on Monday (Jan. 20), with Donald Trump set to take office that same day. Ironically, while the Republican leader was an early advocate for banning the app, he promised during his presidential campaign to “save TikTok.” Whether he can follow through in time is anyone’s guess.
“Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership. Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before [the] inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement,” a representative from the Biden administration told CNN.
On Jan. 10, the Supreme Court heard arguments about why TikTok’s ban should be blocked or delayed, but the judges unfortunately did not appear to side with the social media giant. During the two-hour hearing, attorney Noel Francisco claimed the app faced “uniquely harsh treatment” and warned that rebuilding it would result in a “fundamentally different platform.”
Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that TikTok’s legal obligation to cooperate with the Chinese government poses a security risk and, even worse, could leave American users vulnerable to blackmail in the future. “For the Chinese government to have this vast trove of incredibly sensitive data about them, I think, obviously exposes our nation as a whole to a risk of espionage and blackmail,” she argued.
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