United States President-elect, Donald Trump, has announced he will “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban slated to take effect on Sunday,
Speaking to NBC News, Trump stated that a formal announcement on the matter would likely come on Monday, after his inauguration.
The social media platform had earlier cautioned that it would “go dark” on Sunday unless the outgoing Biden administration assured it the ban would not be enforced.
The Supreme Court, in a decision on Friday, upheld legislation requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app by 19 January to avoid the ban. ByteDance, however, has refused to seek a buyer.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News.
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He reiterated a similar stance during a conversation with ABC News, saying, “Well, I have the right as you know, I’m the one who is going to be calling the shots. Most likely, I’ll extend for 90 days – you have the extension for 90 days as you probably know. I’ll do that until we figure something out.”
TikTok, in a statement on Friday, accused the White House and the Department of Justice of failing to provide “the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability.”
However, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s claims as “a stunt.” She stated on Saturday, “We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.
“We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration. So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.”
Trump also revealed on Friday that he had discussed TikTok during a recent conversation with China’s President Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, alongside other tech executives.
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