The ban of TikTok is a full-scale battle between national security and technological freedom. With the Biden administration ordering ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19, 2025, the stage is already set for a dramatic showdown, just one day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. With the deadline near, speculations arise as to Trump's intentions and what could be next with TikTok in the U.S.
Key Takeaways
The Biden administration has ordered ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19, 2025, or the app will be banned in the U.S.
According to people close to him, Trump's aides tell him that he should swoop in and try to block the ban, given the site's reach and popularity among many different demographics.
TikTok has filed lawsuits contesting the divestiture order on constitutional grounds. Professionals in the industry are divided as to whether Trump could try to stop the ban before it actually goes into place, or if he could rescind it after taking office.
The Backstory: Biden Policy on a Ban for TikTok
In April, President Biden signed a law mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19th, 2025. The ban in the law is framed as a national security concern, pointing to fears that the Chinese government may be able to obtain user data. If TikTok did not comply, the app would be banned from the U.S. app stores. That was followed by TikTok filing counter-suits against constitutional violations, pointing to logistical impossibilities regarding real divestment within the stipulated timeline. In this case, the courts will actively decide the fate through these dueling legal battles as the deadline approaches.
Trump's Stance on the TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump also dramatically scaled back his position on TikTok. A proponent of banning the app in 2020, Trump dialed back his rhetoric after he met with powerful GOP donor Jeff Yass, an investor in TikTok. Trump has since warmed up to the site, amassing more than 14 million followers on the platform and using it as one channel to reach younger voters.
People close to the President say that it would be uncharacteristic for him to back the ban, adding that even a hint of its wide usage in America and its appeal to the citizens is already some form of currency when it comes to staying influential without losing millions of active users. Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to Trump, pointed out that he always thought there might be ways to resolve the security issues without a ban.
Legal and Logistical Hurdles for ByteDance
Of course, for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, there are considerable obstacles toward compliance with a deadline date of January 19. According to the company, the divestiture of TikTok is nothing but a process that is technically and commercially infeasible. Analysts said the timeline is pretty tight, which further complicates the sales process when considering the expanded user base and intricately complex technological infrastructure of TikTok.
But making things all the more complex, ByteDance has argued that the law unfairly puts TikTok in its sights while leaving similar apps free from any regulations. This forms a core component of their legal challenges, which could reach the Supreme Court if left unresolved.
The Role of Trump's Inauguration Timeline
Divestiture must be complete the day before Trump is sworn in-the president can't really intervene. Legal experts say that any effort to remove or retain the ban after inauguration would be politically fraught. The Trump administration could decline to enforce the law or pursue legislative action to alter the law-but it would take time.
That cultural significance, coupled with an economic impact, has created a chorus of users and creators in protest against the ban-many in support of TikTok's fight against divestiture. Analysts suggest the potential ban may cause an upheaval in the social media landscape in the United States.
Possible Directions of the TikTok Ban
There are a couple of ways this might go down as the January 19 deadline approaches:
Divestiture Compliance: ByteDance divests TikTok to a US-based company to avoid the ban; usage of the platform, though, may be very different.
The Legal Route: The legal challenges mounted by TikTok prove successful, the requirement to divest itself is overturned, and the app continues functioning with ByteDance as owner.
Presidential Influence: The Trump administration reaches an agreement to halt or nullify the ban by means of using an executive order or other adjustments to legislation.
Mandated Ban: The TikTok app is removed from app stores, forcing all users to move to alternative platforms.
Conclusion
The looming ban has dropped TikTok right into the center of a high-stakes legal and political fight. With the deadline of January 19 looming near, only the next few months will tell if TikTok can sail through these challenges and remain a fixture in the U.S. digital landscape. As President-elect Trump prepares to take office, the way his administration will approach the ban now means everything for the future of TikTok and a precedent for how the U.S. will handle foreign technology concerns.
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