TikTok may be facing a blackout in the United States starting this Sunday, as it prepares to go offline following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform. However, there is a possibility of the app making a comeback as early as Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he will likely postpone the TikTok ban for 90 days once he assumes office on Monday, although he emphasized that a final decision has not been reached. In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump stated, “I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.” He added, “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
The potential extension of the ban represents the latest development in a protracted saga that has kept the fate of TikTok, with its 170 million US users, uncertain. A bipartisan law passed last year mandated ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to either divest the app to a non-Chinese entity or face a ban in the US.
Numerous American users, including influencers and small businesses that rely on TikTok for their livelihood, have expressed concerns about the impending ban. Despite their apprehension, there remains a glimmer of hope that the app could be spared. However, with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding the ban, those hopes were dashed.
In response to the court’s decision, TikTok announced that it would cease operations in the US on Sunday unless there is intervention from the incoming Biden administration. The law permits the president to postpone the ban for 90 days but necessitates substantial progress towards selling TikTok to a US-based company.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, engaged in discussions with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence leading up to the ban’s enforcement. Chew is also anticipated to be present at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
This is an evolving story that will continue to be updated as new developments unfold. For the latest news and newsletters from CNN, visit CNN.com and create an account.
