Joe Biden’s administration has made a last-minute announcement about the impending TikTok ban – just days before he is set to hand power to Donald Trump.
The president has no plans to take action that will immediately cause the beloved social media app to go offline for American users on Sunday. ABC News reported.
Although Biden’s office now says it will not enforce the law invalidating the app in America, the Chinese media site could still proactively choose to shut itself down on January 19.
The controversial ban – which is expected to keep millions of Americans off the app – will come into effect just one day before Trump is sworn in.
Now Biden’s office says the ban is “up to the next administration to implement.”
A White House official told the newspaper: “Our position on this is clear: TikTok must continue to operate under American ownership. Given the timing of it taking effect on a holiday weekend, a day before the inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement it.”
Sunday is the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, to sell its U.S. assets or be removed from U.S. app stores over concerns about the app’s ties to the communist Chinese government.
The president has no plans to take action that will immediately take down the beloved social media app for U.S. users on Sunday
The controversial ban – which is expected to keep millions of Americans off the app – will come into effect just one day before Trump is sworn in.
President Biden signed a law last year demanding he address Justice Department concerns that the platform is vulnerable to Chinese spies and a potential foghorn for Beijing propaganda.
The Supreme Court heard TikTok’s appeal against the ban last week, but is expected to allow the law to go ahead as planned on Sunday.
While Trump previously supported a ban, he is now considering an executive order that would suspend the order for 60 to 90 days, the Washington Post reports.
A source told the newspaper that Trump would like to be seen as “making a deal” after the deadline passes.
‘Why would I want to get rid of TikTok?’ Trump said in a Truth Social post this month.
His change of heart is reportedly due to the outpouring of support he received during his White House campaign.
TikToks by the ratings-obsessed Trump and his team have been viewed more than 4 billion times, more than megastar Taylor Swift or political rival Kamala Harris.
About 150 million Americans use TikTok – almost half the population.
While TikTok is extremely popular among younger users and members of Gen-Z, a third of adults in the US also use the app.