Summary
- The US TikTok ban could be delayed until after January 19, saving the app — for now.
- The Biden administration is reportedly “exploring options” to prevent the ban taking place on Sunday.
- President-elect Trump, who takes office January 20, is reportedly considering an executive order to delay the TikTok ban by two to three months.
The US TikTok ban is set to take effect this Sunday, January 19. However, it now seems the popular app might be saved after all. Both President Biden’s administration and President-elect Trump’s incoming administration are reportedly working separately on possible ways to keep TikTok alive.
“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” a Biden administration official said to NBC News.
The news outlet is also reporting that Biden’s administration is “exploring options” to prevent TikTok from being shut down this Sunday. TikTok reportedly has devised a plan for if the ban goes through, but it seems like it might not need to enact it.
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TikTok set to go completely dark for all users in the US this Sunday
TikTok will reportedly shutdown entirely in the US starting Sunday, going beyond the requirements of the bill that bans it.
Trump considering executive order to prevent TikTok ban
Trump takes office the day after the TikTok ban goes into effect
According to The Washington Post, President-elect Trump is reportedly considering an executive order that will prevent the bill that bans TikTok from being enforced by two to three months. However, it’s not clear if the president has the power to do so. Trump takes office on January 20, the day after the TikTok ban comes into effect.
In an interview on Fox and Friends, Michael Waltz, Trump’s incoming National Security Advisor, said the administration would take measures to prevent the ban (via TechCrunch). In December, President-elect Trump’s attorneys asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban because it “interferes with President Trump’s ability to manage the United States’ foreign policy and to pursue a resolution.”
If TikTok does go dark in the US on January 19, it could be back relatively quickly if the Biden administration or the incoming Trump administration decide to take action. The bill that bans TikTok was approved by Congress and signed into law in April 2024, citing concerns the app is a national security threat. The bill forces Bytedance to sell the app by January 19, or it will face a ban in the US. With that date fast approaching and the Supreme Court unlikely to intervene, it will be in the hands of US politicians to decide the app’s fate.
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