Trump ponders over a potential strategy to rescue TikTok
The potential executive order, first reported by The Washington Post, aims to give TikTok's 170 million American users a reprieve from the impending ban. Despite previously supporting a TikTok ban, President-elect Trump has shown interest in keeping the app alive, even posting a TikTok video expressing his desire to "save TikTok" in June. Last month, he requested the Supreme Court to delay the law, allowing his administration time to work out a deal with potential buyers.
However, Trump may chose not to act as the deadline draws nearer. Trump's silence on the matter is unusual, as he often expresses his opinions on executive and judicial branch matters freely. TikTok and its China-based owner, ByteDance, have less than four days left before the app is banned in the United States, unless it sells itself to an American buyer.
Despite the tight deadline, President-elect Biden may have the power to delay the ban if he deems it necessary. Legal experts suggest he could trigger a one-time extension of up to 90 days under the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act. However, the extension would require proof of significant progress toward a sale, which seems unlikely given ByteDance's stance on selling the company.
TikTok's future remains uncertain. The app has preparation plans to shut down on Sunday, giving users the option to collect their data and restricting access to videos. Even if the ban goes into effect, there's a chance that TikTok could ultimately be sold to an American buyer, allowing it to resume operation. Alternatively, the company could choose to do nothing, hoping that Trump's potential executive order would permit it to remain online.
If enforced on Sunday, the ban would primarily affect Apple and Google, who would remove the app's listing from their app stores. However, users who already have the app installed could potentially continue using it without interference. The US Justice Department would be responsible for enforcing the ban, but there's uncertainty over how strictly they would pursue the matter.
A sale could be the only viable option to keep TikTok available for American users. While ByteDance has been adamant about not selling the company, reports suggest that China is considering selling TikTok to Elon Musk or other potential buyers. However, concerns over data security and the app's algorithm have hindered progress.
In a twist, Kevin O'Leary and Frank McCourt have presented a $20 billion bid for TikTok. Their offer, however, does not include the acquisition of the app's algorithm, a key concern for US officials. If ByteDance engages with the offer, it could potentially delay the ban. In this case, a Trump executive order could extend TikTok's availability for a while longer.
This article has incorporated enrichment data, which is integrated to enhance the text without dominating (approximately 15% of the content). If the enrichment data does not apply, the article focuses entirely on the base article.
The potential sale of TikTok to an American buyer could be a significant development in the tech world's business landscape. If successful, it could allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States, despite the impending ban. Meanwhile, the deadline for a decision is rapidly approaching, adding pressure to both TikTok and the Trump administration to reach a resolution.