Trump Mulls Over TikTok Deadline Extension
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that he may consider extending TikTok’s deadline by an additional 90 days to allow for negotiations that could avert a ban on the popular video-sharing platform in the U.S.
In a conversation with NBC News, Trump noted that although he hasn’t made a final decision yet, he is leaning towards granting TikTok a temporary extension following his inauguration on Monday. A new law is set to come into effect on Sunday, which prohibits app stores and internet hosting services from allowing TikTok access for American users.
As per the legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year, the parent company of TikTok, which is based in China, was given a nine-month window to divest its U.S. operations to a government-approved buyer. The current president also has the authority to extend this deadline if negotiations for a sale are ongoing.
During a phone interview with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, Trump shared, “Extending the deadline by 90 days is certainly something we’re considering. It seems like the right course of action, and we need to take a close look at the implications; this is an important matter.”
He further indicated, “If I decide to proceed with this extension, I will likely announce it on Monday.”
On Friday, both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized that the Biden administration would defer the enforcement of this law to Trump, particularly since he will be taking office just after the ban is scheduled to begin.
Later that day, TikTok released a statement seeking “clear assurance” that the Biden administration would not enforce the law or penalize U.S. companies like Apple and Google if they continued to host TikTok after the deadline.
Without such assurances, TikTok cautioned it might “have to go dark,” although the company did not specify whether this meant it would voluntarily shut down its U.S. operations or if it would lose access to vital service providers.
In response to TikTok’s statement, the White House labeled it as “a publicity stunt.”
Jean-Pierre remarked, “There’s no reason for TikTok or any other companies to take extreme actions in the days leading up to the Trump administration taking office on Monday. We’ve made our position clear: the incoming administration will be responsible for executing this law. Therefore, TikTok and others should address their concerns directly to them.”
Currently, inquiries regarding their plans for Sunday have gone unanswered by Apple, Google, and Oracle, the company overseeing TikTok’s data management on its servers.