The White House has looked into options to keep TikTok accessible to its 170 million American users if a ban that is set to go into effect Sunday continues as planned.
A bipartisan bill banning TikTok was passed by Congress and signed into law by Biden last year. While Trump previously called for a ban on the app due to its ties to the Chinese government, he has more recently been opposed to the ban and indicated that he will seek to reverse it.
The White House on Saturday called TikTok’s statement warning that it will “go dark” on Sunday unless President Biden steps in a “stunt,” arguing the app doesn’t have to take action
A ban on the popular app is set to start Sunday, although the Supreme Court could rule anytime on whether to uphold it.
The Supreme Court ruled on Friday, Jan. 17, to uphold a law that would ban the app for the 170 million people who use the app in the U.S. The ruling lines up with decisions other courts have made and sets up the ban to go into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Congress last year in a law signed by President Joe Biden required that TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance divest the company by Jan. 19 or risk getting banned in the U.S.
President Biden will not enforce a ban on TikTok that is set to take effect Sunday, a U.S. official said, leaving its fate to Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.
TikTok said it would “go dark” on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration offered assurance that it would not enforce a ban upheld Friday by the Supreme Court for the app’s U.S. operations to be sold or booted over “national security concerns.
President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration will be held indoors Monday at the Capitol due to dangerously cold temperatures. Follow for live updates on the final days of the presidential transition.
TikTok said it will be forced to go dark on January 19, the day the ban is set to take effect, without more assurances it won't be enforced.