In a recent phone interview with NBC News, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump indicated he is \"most likely\" to grant TikTok a 90-day extension on the company's deadline set for his inauguration on Monday. While Trump has not made a final decision, he acknowledged that an extension would be \"appropriate\" given the complexity of the situation.
The extension would provide additional time beyond the current Sunday deadline, allowing for a more thorough evaluation. \"We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation,\" Trump stated.
Earlier this year, in April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill mandating that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, sell the app to a non-Chinese firm within 270 days. Failure to comply would result in a nationwide ban of TikTok in the United States starting January 19, 2025.
Just a day before Trump's inauguration, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok to an American company or face the ban. Following the court's decision, the White House emphasized the importance of keeping TikTok available to Americans, provided it operates under American ownership or another arrangement that addresses national security concerns outlined by Congress.
\"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday,\" the White House statement read.
In response to these developments, TikTok announced it would cease operations for its 170 million U.S. users on Sunday unless the Biden Administration offers a \"definitive\" assurance. \"Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,\" the company warned.
As the transition between administrations approaches, all eyes are on how the new leadership will address the future of TikTok in the United States.
