
Biden won't ban TikTok, leaving fate of app to Trump - AP
Kyiv • UNN
Biden will not ban TikTok before the transfer of power to Trump. The newly elected president promised to keep the app, and TikTok's CEO will receive a VIP seat at the inauguration along with other tech leaders.
U.S. President Joe Biden will not impose a ban on the social media app TikTok, which is set to take effect the day before he leaves office on Monday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, AP reported on Thursday, citing a U.S. official, UNN reported.
Details
Last year, Congress, in a law signed by Biden, demanded that TikTok's parent company in China, ByteDance, sell the company by January 19, the day before the new president was inaugurated. The official said the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law - and potential enforcement of the ban - to Trump.
Trump, who once called for the app to be banned, has since pledged to keep it available in the US, although his transition team has not said how they intend to achieve this.
TikTok CEO plans to attend Trump's inauguration16.01.25, 23:48 • 26024 views
TikTok CEO Shou Ji Chu is expected to attend Trump's inauguration and get one of the best seats on the podium, as the president-elect's national security adviser Mike Volz signals that the new administration may take steps to "keep TikTok from going under.
Volz told Fox & Friends on Fox News on Thursday that the federal law, which could ban TikTok until Sunday, also "allows for an extension if there is a viable deal on the table.
The attempts to save TikTok, like the attempts to ban it in the United States, have transcended party lines. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke with Biden on Thursday to advocate for an extension of the TikTok ban deadline.
"Obviously, it takes more time to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, many influential people who have built up a good network of followers," Schumer said on Thursday in the Senate chamber.
Democrats tried to pass legislation on Wednesday that would have extended the deadline, but Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked it. Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said TikTok had plenty of time to find a buyer.
"TikTok is a Chinese Communist spy app that addicts our children, collects their data, targets them with harmful and manipulative content, and spreads Communist propaganda," Cotton said.
TikTok's CEO is expected to sit on the podium at the inauguration alongside tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is the CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Addendum
Trump changed his stance on the popular app after trying to ban it during his first term in office due to national security concerns. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign, and his team used it to connect with young voters, especially men, by promoting content that was often "macho" and aimed at going viral, the publication writes. He pledged to "save TikTok" during the campaign and credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.