The Biden administration will not enforce a TikTok ban set to take effect on January 19, leaving the decision to President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming team, a US official said on Thursday.
The deadline for Chinese-owned ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations was established by legislation outgoing President Joe Biden signed last year. The ban would take effect one day before Trump’s inauguration.
Trump, who attempted to ban the app during his first term, has reversed course and now pledges to maintain TikTok’s US presence. His campaign effectively used the platform to reach younger voters, particularly males, through viral content during his 2024 presidential run.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration with prominent placement on the dais, alongside tech leaders including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, SpaceX’s Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News’ Fox & Friends the law permits deadline extensions if “a viable deal is on the table.”
The matter has drawn bipartisan engagement. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer advocated for extending the deadline during discussions with Biden on Thursday.
“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 on the Senate floor.
A Democratic attempt to extend the deadline was blocked by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee. Cotton warned that 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.”
The Supreme Court heard ByteDance’s challenge to the divestment law last week, with justices appearing likely to uphold it.
Waltz indicated the incoming administration would prioritize both preserving the platform and protecting user data, noting Trump’s position that “TikTok is a great platform” while addressing security concerns.
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