US President-elect Donald Trump is considering signing an executive order to delay the implementation of a federal law requiring the sale or ban of TikTok in the US, The Washington Post reports. The decree is expected to suspend the law for 60-90 days, while TikTok is preparing for a nationwide ban that is set to take effect on Sunday unless the Supreme Court intervenes. According to the sources, TikTok plans to completely shut down the app in the US on January 19 if the ban is not blocked.
Trump, who has expressed an interest in keeping the app popular, sees TikTok as a platform where he has broad support. Advisers and allies are discussing unconventional approaches to fulfill his campaign promise to “save TikTok.” Among these options is an executive order that would temporarily halt the ban, which legally contradicts bipartisan legislation signed by President Joe Biden last year. The law requires the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, to sell its U.S. assets by January 19 or face an immediate ban.
Sources close to the discussions say that Trump is eager to demonstrate his dealmaking skills and may issue an executive order right after the deadline. However, the potential move has raised skepticism among legal experts, who argue that a presidential decree cannot override a law passed by Congress. “Executive orders are not magical documents; they don’t violate federal law”, said Alan Rozenshtein, former counsel to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on TikTok’s lawsuit against the law, which the company calls a violation of the First Amendment of the US Constitution. However, legal experts believe that the court is unlikely to uphold the app, which has been criticized for potential threats to national security due to its Chinese origin. The Ministry of Justice has expressed concern that the Chinese government could use TikTok for espionage or propaganda.
Trump’s attempts to save TikTok are backed by the platform’s strategic value in attracting young voters and its massive influence, as the app has more than 170 million users in the United States. Trump himself used TikTok to build his own subscriber base, and his campaign videos have garnered nearly 4 billion views.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chu met with Trump in Mar-a-Lago last month to discuss possible solutions, including a partial sale or corporate restructuring. Discussions included the reinstatement of Project Texas, a proposal that would have involved U.S. oversight of TikTok’s operations and data processing. Although the Biden administration rejected the plan, the Trump team may consider it a viable option.
Despite Trump’s willingness to make a deal, ByteDance said TikTok is not for sale, citing Chinese regulations that restrict the transfer of the app’s key algorithms. Observers speculate that TikTok could become a bargaining chip in broader US-China trade talks. However, any solution will require high-level negotiations between the two countries, which remains in question.
Amid the deadline, TikTok employees in the US are facing uncertainty. The company told employees that offices will remain open regardless of the app’s status, but provided few details about future operations. Meanwhile, public support for a TikTok ban dropped from 50% in 2023 to 32% last summer, according to a Pew Research poll.
In the coming days, it will become clear whether Trump’s interventions can secure TikTok’s future in the US or whether the app will be suddenly blocked, leaving millions of users and content creators in limbo.
Loading comments …