There may be fewer worries for Americans who are massive fans of TikTok as the ban may face a delay and not happen this Sunday, January 19, as President Joe Biden's administration reportedly shared this semi-good news. This is because the Biden administration is now passing the problem to incoming President Donald J. Trump for him and his office to handle.
However, this is also not a confirmation that TikTok would remain as an operational app despite it opting to remainwith ByteDance, with President Biden still having the power over the platform's future until his term is up.
TikTok Ban Delay: Biden Hands Decision Over to Trump
A White House official shared a new statement to ABC News (via The Verge) regarding the impending doom that will ban TikTok in the country, and they regarded that there might be a delay for the ban which could postpone the law from taking effect this January 19. It was revealed that President Biden's administration is considering the timeline of this ban, especially as it falls into effect during a holiday weekend, amidst the inauguration.
It was regarded by the White House that President Biden is handing over the reins of the TikTok ban to the incoming President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, for him to handle.
Previous reports regarded that Trump is in favor of letting TikTok continue its operations for a short while before deciding again if they will grant the Chinese social media its much-needed freedom or hold the shackles of the law over their heads.
There Are No Guarantees For TikTok's US Operations
The Verge said that despite this delay presented by the Biden administration, it is still not a guarantee that TikTok is safe from the Foreign Adversary Act and fully escape the law, as this is not the case. There are monetary risks already involved in this ban, particularly as companies like Apple and Google were asked by the courts to help take down TikTok come January 19.
Additionally, President Biden still has the power to extend the TikTok sale deadline for up to 90 days but has held out in granting this favor.
TikTok Ban Is Coming, Alternatives Are Rising
American TikTok users are now scrambling their last efforts to keep the Chinese social media platform operational in the country, with its upcoming ban this January 19 set to block the platform's operations from here on out. Others already accepted TikTok's fate by joining the massive exodus to the new Chinese social media, RedNote, and are calling themselves 'TikTok refugees.'
Over the past week, TikTok regarded that they are already accepting their fate, and the company is making its moveto shut down its US operations instead of waiting for the country to effect their ban at the said date. The company already presented its arguments to the US Supreme Court on why it should not be banned in the country, but this did not change much about its fate.
While there are still other options, with one including the sale of TikTok to Elon Musk and X to adhere to the law and keep its operations running in the country, there are no updates yet if this pushed through. That being said, another last resort for TikTok presented itself for the company, with the White House and the outgoing President Biden handing over the reins of this issue to the incoming President Trump could delay the ban, but is not a guarantee of their continued availability in the US.
