Biden Administration Leaves TikTok's Future In The Hands Of President-Elect Trump (UPDATE)

Biden Administration Leaves TikTok’s Future In The Hands Of President-Elect Trump (UPDATE)

During their last week in office, the Biden administration is stepping away from the controversial TikTok ban. Instead, President Joe Biden has elected to focus his efforts on other matters, like granting clemency for almost 2,500 non-violent drug offenders. This means the app’s future will be in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, who will become the 47th president on Monday (January 20).

RELATED: TikTok Is Already Partially Banned In 19 Countries, But They’re Fighting To Stay In The US

President Joe Biden Won’t Enforce TikTok Ban

Despite the company’s best efforts to stop the ban, TikTok’s deadline to sell their app is set for the day before Trump’s inauguration. Last year, Biden signed a Congress-backed law that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest the company by Jan. 19. It appears the company might not take that route. So, this likely means the ban will commence during Biden’s last day in the White House.

Still, a U.S. official confirmed on Thursday that Biden won’t be enforcing the ban. According to AP, the official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Biden administration thinking.

What Trump’s Team Has Said About The Ban

Trump, who once called to ban the app, has since pledged to keep it available in the U.S. However, his transition team has not said how they intend to accomplish that.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location. Meanwhile, the president-elect’s national security adviser has suggested the Trump administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark.”

Separately on Wednesday, Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, dodged a question during a Senate hearing on whether she’d uphold a TikTok ban.

Soon-to-be national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke about the potential ban on Wednesday as well.

“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear: Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use and has been great for his campaign and getting his message out. But number two, he’s going to protect their data,” Waltz said. “He’s a deal maker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place.”

Waltz also mentioned the ban while speaking on Fox News Channel’s ‘Fox & Friends’ on Thursday. Walz pointed out that the federal law banning TikTok also “allows for an extension as long as a viable deal is on the table.”

Donald Trump has reversed his position on the popular app after trying to ban it during his first term in office. He joined TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign. His team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He pledged to “save TikTok” during the campaign and has credited the platform with helping him win more youth votes.

Where Do U.S. Leaders Stand On The TikTok Ban?

The push to save TikTok, much like the move to ban it in the U.S., has crossed partisan lines. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke with Joe Biden on Thursday to advocate for extending the deadline to ban TikTok.

“It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, of so many influencers who have built up a good network of followers,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor.

Democrats had tried on Wednesday to pass legislation that would have extended the deadline, but Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked it. Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that TikTok had ample time to find a buyer.

“TikTok is a Chinese Communist spy app that addicts our kids, harvests their data, targets them with harmful and manipulative content, and spreads communist propaganda,” Cotton said.

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to the statute brought by TikTok, its China-based parent company ByteDance, and users of the app. The Justices seemed likely to uphold the law, which requires ByteDance to sell TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets.

While social media has been name-dropping celebrity buyers, such as YouTuber Mr. Beast, ByteDance has not confirmed any sale procedures.

Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off 🙌🏻

— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025