With a pending law declaring the social media application TikTok illegal in the United States taking effect on Sunday, the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump is indicating that it is looking to find a way to stop the service. Planning to try. offline.
Under current law, the service’s parent company, China-based ByteDance, would either have to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese firm or ban it in the US.
Representative Mike Waltz, who has been selected to serve as Trump’s national security adviser, told Fox News on Thursday that the president-elect has options available to him to defer to law enforcement while selling the company. A possible deal is being worked on. It includes a section of the law that allows the President to grant ByteDance a 90-day extension to finalize the sale.
Waltz said, “As long as a viable deal is on the table, we will take measures to keep TikTok from going dark. Essentially this buys President Trump time to keep TikTok afloat.”
Executive action reportedly considered
Also on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported that Trump was considering issuing an executive order that would protect TikTok.
The legality of such a move is unclear and is thrown into further doubt by the fact that the Supreme Court is set to rule on the company’s request to overturn the law.
The high court heard arguments in the case last week and is expected to deliver its verdict soon. The result is not certain. However, in oral arguments, a majority of the justices appeared to favor upholding the law.
Trump’s attitude toward TikTok has evolved significantly over the years. During his first term in office, he attempted to shut down the service in the US, however, he has used the service to connect with his supporters, with considerable success.
At a press conference in Florida last month, Trump said, “I have a warm place in my heart for TikTok,” and he credited the app for helping him get his message across to young American voters.
Trump has denied that his change of heart about TikTok was influenced by a brief meeting with Republican megadonor and ByteDance investor Jeff Yass in March. A 2024 lobbying disclosure report revealed that ByteDance paid a former Trump campaign aide to lobby lawmakers in Washington in favor of TikTok, and former senior Trump aide Kellyanne Conway was paid by the Yes-funded conservative group. Was paid to advocate for TikTok in Congress through Club Four. Development.
Trump also said that TikTok was not mentioned during his meeting with Yass.
financial concerns
In the years since TikTok launched, thousands of US-based content creators have developed large audiences on the app, and in many cases have been able to monetize their TikTok feeds.
Many small businesses have had success advertising their products among TikTok users. Other TikTok celebrities have parlayed fame on the app into widespread celebrity, which has led to lucrative product endorsements and other deals.
Some members of Congress have expressed concern that suddenly shutting down the app could have economic consequences.
On Monday, Democratic Senator Edward Markey introduced legislation that would delay the TikTok ban by 270 days.
“Let me be clear: TikTok has its own problems,” Markey said in a statement released by his office. “Like every social media platform, TikTok poses a serious threat to the privacy and mental health of our youth. I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for this type of behavior. But banning TikTok will have serious consequences for the millions of Americans who Depend on it.” Apps for social connections and their economic livelihoods, we can’t let that happen.”
Viability of sale unclear
As Sunday’s deadline approaches, several rumors have started surfacing about a possible sale of the company. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Chinese officials were considering the possibility of selling the service to billionaire Elon Musk, a close adviser to Trump, who already owns social media service X, formerly Twitter.
Another US billionaire, real estate developer Frank McCourt, told Reuters on Thursday that a consortium of investors he formed has already made a formal offer to buy TikTok, valuing the service at $20 billion.
However, it is not clear whether the sale is something the Chinese government is willing to allow. Any sale worth the buyer’s investment would have to include the “recommendation engine,” TikTok’s name for the algorithm that makes the service so popular and, many would say, addictive.
In a court petition last year, TikTok said such a deal was unavailable.
“Just as the United States restricts the export of American-origin technologies (for example, certain computer chips), the Chinese government controls the transfer of technologies developed in China,” the company argued in its court filing. ” “The Chinese government has made clear in public statements that it will not allow forced divestiture of recommendation engines.”
Privacy, national security concerns
TikTok, a hugely popular service for sharing short videos, has an estimated 170 million US users. Federal officials have been concerned about TikTok for years because of the vast amounts of information it collects about its user base. He has argued that Chinese laws forcing domestic companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies could be used to force the company to share that data with the Chinese Communist Party.
US officials have expressed concerns that China could misuse private information about US users of the service. They also warn that Beijing could use TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithms to shape public discussion in the US to China’s benefit.
In December, when a federal appeals court upheld the law mandating the company’s sale or closure, Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamurthy, one of the law’s original sponsors, issued a statement echoing the views of many of the law’s supporters. Did.
Krishnamurthy said, “With today’s opinion, all three branches of government have reached the same conclusion: ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok is a national security threat that deserves no action other than divestiture.” Cannot be reduced by other means.”
“Every day that TikTok remains under the control of the Chinese Communist Party is a day that our security is at risk,” Krishnamurthy said.
