In a recent turn of events, newly elected President Donald Trump has hinted at a possible reassessment of the upcoming ban on TikTok Inc., a position that contrasts with his previous position during his presidency in 2020. He spoke at a press conference in Mar-a on Monday -Lago, Trump signaled a change of heart on the Chinese video-sharing application, citing its influence on young voters and attributing Republican gains to the platform’s impact. “We’re going to take a look at TikTok. You know, I have a warm place in my heart for TikTok,” Trump noted.
During his previous term, Trump had raised concerns about the national security risks posed by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, due to its Chinese origins. In response, he signed an executive order demanding the sale of TikTok or risk a ban in the United States. However, legal challenges delayed the ban, which was eventually overturned by President Joe Biden. Nevertheless, a bipartisan bill was signed by Biden last year that set a January 19, 2025 deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok, or face a ban.
The White House has expressed a preference for divestiture over an outright ban, with the aim of preventing potential exploitation of US user data by China. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated: “What we want to see is a divestment, not a ban. We have been very clear about that.” She did not comment on whether Biden would force the divestment before his term ends.
Amid ongoing legal proceedings, a federal appeals court upheld the divestiture law, while ByteDance seeks a temporary stay to appeal to the Supreme Court. This situation could put the final decision in Trump’s hands if he comes to power. Although the law limits the President’s ability to waive the divestiture requirement, it does provide some leeway in defining the terms of a divestiture. This would allow Trump to establish that TikTok’s U.S. operations are sufficiently independent to protect the privacy of user data.
Trump’s perspective on TikTok changed last year, viewing it as a viable alternative to rival Meta Inc. services such as Facebook (NASDAQ:) and Instagram Reels. After being banned from Facebook for his role in the events leading up to the attack on the Capitol, Trump labeled Facebook “the enemy of the people.” He has since embraced TikTok and used it in his presidential campaign to spread viral content. On the eve of the court’s ruling last week, Trump highlighted the platform’s effectiveness by sharing engagement metrics that favored TikTok over Instagram’s video feature.
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