The Biden administration is reportedly exploring ways to keep TikTok available in the US if the ban set to take effect on Sunday proceeds. An administration official stated that Americans shouldn’t expect TikTok to be suddenly banned on Sunday, as officials are looking into options for implementing the law so that TikTok doesn’t go dark. This move would defer the issue to Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday and has expressed readiness to intervene to preserve access to TikTok in the American marketplace. Some of Trump’s team members have also shown reluctance to enforce the ban.
The law in question requires ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to divest from the company and find an outside buyer within nine months, a window that closes on Sunday. The law was enacted citing national security concerns, as lawmakers believed US users’ data could be compromised by China or influenced through content control on TikTok. TikTok has long maintained these concerns are unfounded and has challenged the law on First Amendment grounds.
With the potential ban looming, many US TikTok users have started downloading Chinese alternatives that pose similar security issues. Meanwhile, TikTok is considering options, including the last-resort possibility of going dark on Sunday, or allowing the app to remain active without future updates and bug fixes.
