TIKTOK’s 170 million U.S. users might get a lifeline as Donald Trump said he is likely to grant the app a 90-day reprieve from a looming ban.
The highly-liked platform is on the verge of closure on Sunday unless significant steps are implemented to tackle national security issues linked to its Chinese ownership.
But Trump might offer some hope to the short video app once he is sworn in on Monday.
The president-elect has also hinted at a “political resolution” and even urged the Supreme Court last month to pause the ban’s implementation.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC in a Saturday interview.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
TikTok, which is under the ownership of ByteDance based in China, has been navigating a legal challenge as a law enacted last year mandated the app to distance itself from its parent company or cease its operations in the United States.
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on Friday, leaving the app’s future hanging by a thread.
The White House, meanwhile, dismissed TikTok’s Friday plea for assurances as a “stunt.”
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Saturday that it’s up to the incoming Trump administration to act.
“We do not perceive any justification for TikTok or other corporations to make any decisions in the upcoming days ahead of the inauguration of the Trump administration on Monday,” she stated.
TikTok declined to comment on the new White House remarks, while the Chinese embassy in Washington called the ban an abuse of state power.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson declared Friday.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is reportedly attending Trump’s inauguration Monday, sitting among high-profile guests.
Meanwhile, potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, are circling the $50 billion-valued platform.
Media reports suggest Beijing has discussed selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, though the company has denied those claims.
USERS SCRAMBLE AS BAN LOOMS
TikTokers and users are for now bracing for the worst, with farewell videos flooding the platform.
“Does anyone know if the TikTok ban goes into effect on Sunday or if we have all of Sunday to like brain rot still? I need to plan accordingly,” fitness influencer Britany Williams joked to her 64,000 followers.
Others are seeking alternatives, with apps like RedNote seeing a surge in downloads.
Rival platforms Meta and Snap are also capitalizing on the chaos, their stocks climbing as investors bet on an influx of users and ad revenue.
Marketing firms reliant on TikTok are scrambling, describing the past week as a “hair on fire” moment as they prepare contingency plans.
