TikTok Ban Deadline Looms as Trump Hints at Possible Reprieve
TikTok faces a critical deadline on January 19, just one day before Trump's inauguration, to either divest from ByteDance or face a U.S. ban. Despite Trump's recent positive statements about the platform, the app's future remains uncertain.
Trump expressed interest in keeping TikTok operational after citing his campaign's success on the platform, claiming "billions of views." He recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and mentioned having a "warm spot" for the app.
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The U.S. Senate passed legislation in April requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok, citing national security concerns. While TikTok has appealed the decision, and the Supreme Court has agreed to review the case, the January 19 deadline remains in effect.
Key concerns include:
- The U.S. Department of Justice views ByteDance's control as a national security threat
- Companies under Beijing's jurisdiction must comply with CCP data requests
- Despite TikTok's claims that data is stored on U.S.-based Oracle servers, reports indicate Beijing officials maintain access
Even with Trump's apparent support, reversing the ban could prove challenging as the divestiture order received overwhelming Senate approval.
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