TikTok on the Brink: Trump Hints at Last-Minute Delay in Ban

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has signaled the possibility of delaying the ban on China-based social media platform TikTok. Previously, the U.S. government set January 19 as the deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell its U.S. operations. Users trying to access TikTok after January 19 would receive a notification of the ban from the U.S. federal government.

However, the White House stated that the final decision on TikTok’s fate could be made by the new Trump administration, which is set to be inaugurated on Monday, January 20, 2025.

According to Antaranews (January 19, 2025), responding to the Supreme Court and White House decisions, Trump told CNN that he would make his own decision. "I believe that is one option we will certainly consider. A 90-day extension is highly likely because that’s the right course of action,” Trump said, as quoted by the Antaranews report.

In Trump’s view, the decision on banning TikTok needs to be carefully reviewed since it is a significant issue. The final decision is expected to be announced on Monday, January 20.

Documents obtained by RIA Novosti revealed that Trump has requested the Supreme Court to delay the TikTok ban so he can resolve the dispute after his inauguration on January 20.

In April 2024, current U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law requiring TikTok to be transferred to a U.S. company, under the threat of an operational ban, which could take effect on January 19, 2025. TikTok has been under tight scrutiny by U.S. authorities, who fear that the Chinese government could request user data or use the app to spread propaganda.

According to Kompas.com (January 17, 2025), the U.S. blocked TikTok because it was considered a national security threat, potentially allowing China to access users' personal data. The U.S. is concerned that TikTok, owned by ByteDance and headquartered in Beijing, could share American data with the Chinese government. If ByteDance does not sell TikTok by January 19, the app will be banned and no longer available for download.

ByteDance has opposed the TikTok ban, arguing it violates the First Amendment on free speech. However, the U.S. Supreme Court justices are leaning toward upholding the ban.

So far, ByteDance has been reluctant to sell TikTok's U.S. operations. The company assured its U.S. employees that their jobs, salaries, and benefits would remain secure. ByteDance has remained firm in its decision not to sell TikTok and is considering shutting down its U.S. operations entirely.