Trump Considers Extending TikTok Deadline
President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that he is likely to grant TikTok an additional 90 days to negotiate a deal that could prevent the widely-used video-sharing app from facing a ban in the United States.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump explained that while he has not finalized his decision, he is contemplating providing TikTok with a temporary reprieve following his inauguration on Monday. A law that bars mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to American users is set to go into effect on Sunday.
According to the legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, TikTok’s parent company based in China was given a nine-month period to sell its U.S. operations to a buyer approved by the government. The law also permits the current president to extend this deadline if there is an ongoing sale process.
Trump remarked during a phone interview with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, “I think that would certainly be an option we consider. A 90-day extension seems likely because it’s the right thing to do. We must evaluate the situation carefully; it’s significant.”
He added, “If I choose to move forward with this, I’ll probably make an announcement on Monday.”
Both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco clarified on Friday that the Biden administration would leave the enforcement of this law to Trump, especially since his inauguration is scheduled for the day after the ban takes effect.
Later on Friday, TikTok issued a statement requesting “a definitive assurance” that the Biden administration would not enforce the law or penalize app store operators like Apple and Google, as well as other U.S. companies, if they continue to offer TikTok after Sunday.
Without such guarantees, TikTok warned it might “be forced to go dark,” although the company did not clarify whether this meant it would voluntarily close its U.S. platform at midnight or cease operations due to losing access to essential service providers.
The White House responded to TikTok’s statement on Saturday, labeling it as “a stunt.”
Jean-Pierre stated, “We see no justification for TikTok or any other companies to take drastic measures in the coming days before the Trump administration assumes office on Monday. We have clearly outlined our position: the next administration will be responsible for implementing this law. Thus, TikTok and other companies should direct their concerns to them.”
As of now, Apple, Google, and Oracle, the company managing TikTok’s data on its servers, have not responded to inquiries regarding their plans for Sunday.
