After a contentious legal battle, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance face a U.S. ban deadline on January 19, 2025, unless they divest ownership. Surprisingly, President-elect Donald Trump, who previously pushed to ban TikTok, has now promised to save the popular app, making it part of his campaign platform.
The ban, signed into law by President Joe Biden in April, mandates that ByteDance must sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American company or face removal from U.S. app stores due to national security concerns.
The law provides an extension option if there’s significant progress toward divestment, which could delay the ban into Trump’s term. However, ByteDance has argued that a forced sale is technologically and commercially challenging.
During his campaign, Trump promised to save TikTok, framing the ban as an advantage to its competitor, Facebook, which he has criticized. With nearly 14 million followers on his TikTok account, Trump’s opposition to the ban could be linked to TikTok’s broad reach among Americans, especially younger voters.
Trump may take several approaches to try to stop the ban:
- Refuse to Enforce the Ban: The law gives the Justice Department the power to enforce penalties for non-compliance, meaning Trump could direct it to delay or avoid prosecuting app stores that continue hosting TikTok.
- Seek Legislative Repeal: Trump could work with Congress to repeal or amend the law, though this may face resistance due to bipartisan support for the ban.
- Negotiate with ByteDance: Some experts believe Trump could attempt to negotiate a new deal with ByteDance, potentially strengthening oversight and security protocols instead of requiring divestiture.
A federal appeals court will decide by December 6 whether the ban is lawful, and the losing side is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court, potentially extending the timeline. Until then, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Trump’s commitment to saving TikTok adds another layer of complexity to an already fraught legal and political issue. As the deadline approaches, his next steps could shape the future of one of the world’s most popular apps in America.