**In a move that could impact millions of TikTok users and influencers, Donald Trump announced he may delay a ban on the popular platform for 90 days.**
**Trump Considers 90-Day Delay for TikTok Ban Amid Controversy**
**Trump Considers 90-Day Delay for TikTok Ban Amid Controversy**
**Donald Trump hints at a potential 90-day reprieve for TikTok as concerns about a nationwide ban increase.**
Donald Trump, once a staunch advocate for banning TikTok, has indicated that he will likely grant the popular social media app a 90-day reprieve from a ban scheduled to take effect soon after his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. Speaking to NBC News, Trump suggested that an official announcement surrounding the TikTok situation may come on Monday, the day after he takes office.
This decision follows TikTok’s warning that it could "go dark" on its platform by Sunday unless the Biden administration provides clear assurances regarding the ban. The urgency escalated when the Supreme Court upheld a law mandating that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, must divest its stake in the app by January 19, a condition that ByteDance has publicly rejected.
In response to TikTok's concerns, the White House, through press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, labeled the app's threats as "a stunt," emphasizing that any actions regarding the ban would be the responsibility of the incoming Trump administration. "We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly," Jean-Pierre noted, indicating that TikTok should address these concerns with the Trump team once they are in power.
Furthermore, Trump disclosed that he had engaged in discussions regarding TikTok's future with China's President Xi Jinping, indicating the potential diplomatic complexities surrounding the platform's situation. TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is expected to attend Trump's inauguration, further signaling the app's ties within the political landscape.
National security officials in the U.S. raise alarms over the possibility that the platform may be used by Chinese spies to exploit personal data of American federal employees, a claim that TikTok has consistently denied. As the deadline for compliance approaches, users expressed their worries, highlighting the platform's integral role in their careers. Nicole Bloomgarden, a fashion designer, mentioned that TikTok was the primary source of her income due to its effectiveness in brand promotion.
Amidst growing apprehension, the Chinese government has criticized the U.S. response to TikTok, characterizing it as unjust suppression and vowing to protect its interests. TikTok boasts a significant American user base of around 170 million, many of whom have actively lobbied Congress against the impending ban.
The fate of TikTok in America could mirror past responses from other nations, such as India's 2020 ban on the app, which replaced it with a plethora of competitive platforms. As the date of potential enforcement of the ban looms, the digital landscape remains on edge about TikTok's future in U.S. cyberspace, especially as influencers and creators rally against what they view as a governmental overreach into their livelihoods.