President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he will “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day extension to finalize its sale, potentially averting a U.S. ban scheduled to take effect on January 19, 2025.
This development follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to uphold a federal law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations by January 19 or face a nationwide ban.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024, mandates the sale of TikTok to address national security concerns related to data privacy and potential Chinese government influence.
Despite the looming deadline, TikTok has not secured a buyer for its U.S. operations. In response, the company announced plans to “go dark” starting Sunday, a move the Biden administration dismissed as a “stunt,” emphasizing that enforcement decisions would fall to the incoming administration.
President-elect Trump’s consideration of a 90-day extension aims to provide additional time for a negotiated resolution, potentially preserving the platform’s availability for its approximately 170 million American users.
The situation remains fluid, with the future of TikTok in the U.S. contingent upon forthcoming decisions by the incoming administration and the company’s ability to comply with divestiture requirements.