Trump may delay TikTok ban in US for 90 days
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he is likely to grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a possible ban in the country. This may happen after the inauguration when he officially becomes president, Reuters reports.
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it's appropriate. If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday," Trump said in an interview with NBC.
Under a law passed last year and upheld unanimously by the US Supreme Court yesterday, TikTok has until Sunday to sever ties with its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance. Otherwise, it will have to cease its operations in the United States to allay fears that it poses a threat to national security.
Also yesterday, TikTok said that on Sunday, the app would stop working in the United States if the administration of the current US President Joe Biden does not provide guarantees to Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement action when the ban comes into effect.
The White House reacted to TikTok's statement, calling it a ploy and noting that taking action is already the prerogative of the new Trump administration.
"We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday," said spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
Donald Trump reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the law requiring TikTok to be blocked. The President-elect of the United States said that he would make the decision on the social network's operation.
