In a surprise twist, President-elect Donald Trump said that he would save TikTok from a ban in the United States. This has been a turbulent year of lawsuits and not knowing whether it had a future within one of its most massive markets.
The Background
TikTok owner ByteDance has been criticized as a national security risk for data privacy concerns. In April, President Joe Biden signed a federal law demanding ByteDance divest its stakes in TikTok within nine months, though the time limit can be extended by another three months if a sale is in process. If that fails, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. come January 19, 2025, a day before Trump's second inauguration.
Trump's Pledge
Trump had promised, during his campaign, to block the ban of TikTok at every turn, in complete contrast to his first term when he himself had tried to ban the app. He says banning TikTok will only help out its competitor, Facebook, which he has repeatedly blamed for the 2020 election outcome. Trump's transition team has made it clear he will make good on the promise, saying the American people re-elected him with a mandate to get his campaign promises through.
Legal and Political Maneuvering
The fate of TikTok remains in the courts, with both sides urging a federal appeals court to rule by December 6. Whoever loses is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court, which would take at least several more months. If Trump takes office before the case concludes, he might press Congress for a repeal or instruct his attorney general not to enforce the ban.
Lobbying Efforts
In an effort to cling to TikTok, ByteDance has been aggressive in its lobbying in Washington, spending millions already. The company has hired several veterans, including David Urban, a lobbyist and former aide to the Trump campaign, and Kellyanne Conway, former senior Trump aide, who has now been pushing TikTok's interests in Congress.
Implications for TikTok Users
For an incoming president who has come out swinging against China, this could be the most significant policy about-face. For TikTok's 180 million U.S. users, this means an uncensored ability to go on using the popular app without disruption. Larger elements related to U.S.-China relations and data privacy, however, remain to be seen.
Conclusion
The promise to save TikTok from Trump has brought an entirely new degree of complexity in the ongoing legal and political struggle over its future. As events begin to unfold, it will be quite interesting to see how his administration manages the challenges and at what cost TikTok can keep itself above water in the U.S. market.