TikTok Ban in the United States: Can Donald Trump Halt the Ban?
President Joe Biden passed legislation this spring that would ban the distribution of TikTok in the U.S., if the app’s parent company, ByteDance, doesn’t sell it before Jan. 19, 2025. Since then a series of legislation and efforts to halt that decision before it actually takes place. But what are the possibilities? Will TikTok literally be banned in USA? In this article, we will explore the TikTok ban in US issue from various perspectives.
It is important to note that TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency injunction on Dec. 9, asking the Supreme Court to review the legislation before January. However, the federal appeal court has denied the petition of early jurisdiction.
However, a spokesperson of USA TODAY said on Monday that they are planning to take this “unethical ban” to the Supreme Court of America which has a proven historical record for the protection of free speech of its citizens. Interestingly, there are over 170 million TikTok users alone in the United States and according to TikTok, the voice of these 170 million users cannot be silenced overnight.
However, the bill introducing the law said it was intended to protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary-controlled applications. In more serious accusations, the bill states that it has some ties with china that discourage the cybersecurity of the nation.
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Will TikTok Ban in USA on 19th January 2025?
According to the passed legislation by the American Legislative Assembly and signed by Joe Biden, ByteDance has to sell TikTok before the end of January 2025. Failing to do so will lead to the ban of TikTok and it will be removed from the app stores web-hosting services.
From the recent activity, it is unlikely that ByteDance is interested in selling TikTok which will eventually result in a ban. But this is not the complete truth. As a spokesperson for TikTok concerned that the voice of 170 million (even more worldwide) users cannot be silenced. So, we believe that there will definitely be other ways around to halt the ban.
Moreover, Donald Trump, the subsequent president of the United States, Donald Trump said he has a “warm spot” for TikTok, as he believes it helped him connect with young voters in the recently held elections. This statement says a lot amid the banning of social media giant TikTok. Meanwhile, TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew met Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday.
However, there is no exact news on what was actually discussed between Trump and the CEO of TikTok over the issue. But Trump stated that he has a “warm spot” for TikTok as it helps him to reach the masses, especially youth voters. He also says that he will “look over the TikTok”. It is interesting to note that before the elections commenced and the results declared, Trump was in favor of banning TikTok.
Can Donald Trump Halt the TikTok Ban in US?
Even though Trump has shown positive remarks on TikTok by stating “warm spot”, his powers are limited against legislative actions. In the USA, the President has limited direct power to unilaterally stop the ban without legislative changes or court rulings. However, the administration can influence enforcement policies and engage in negotiations that might lead to a resolution.
There is one more interesting point to note – Trump will take the oath of 2nd term of president on 20th January, a day after the deadline for selling TikTok. So, in this way, Donald Trump still can directly intervene in the issue.
ByteDance has, as for now, only one way to halt the ban without selling TikTok, which is the Supreme Court’s interference. According to the news, ByteDance already planned to reach the Supreme Court and ask for quick jurisdiction over the matter.
Otherwise, ByteDance could comply with the law by selling TikTok to a non-Chinese entity, thereby addressing national security concerns and preventing the ban. Alternatively, the court can delay the ban and the date may change from 19th January 2025 to a later date that gives ByteDance to address the issues stated by the US Legislation.
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Conclusion
The TikTok ban in US is very likely if no interference by the Supreme Court or President. On a positive note, once the court’s jurisdiction is out before the 19th, TikTok may get relief. However, if the decision is announced after the 19th of January, there is no way to ban prevention and ByteDance has to remove TikTok from the App Store and Play Store.
