New Delhi: TikTok is most likely to receive a reprieve in the US after President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday signalled that he is “most likely” to grant TikTok a 90-day extension to finalise a deal that could prevent it from being banned in the United States.
In an interview with NBC, Trump said, “The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done, because it’s appropriate.” A final decision on the ban is expected after his inauguration. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said.
Ban set to take effect on Sunday
Trump’s comments come as he prepares for his second inauguration on Monday. His return to Washington on Saturday kicked off a weekend of events, including a fireworks display at Trump National Golf Club.
With the ban set to take effect on Sunday, TikTok has urged the Biden administration to issue a statement ensuring that the law would not be enforced or that companies would not face penalties for continuing to support the app. Without such assurances, TikTok warned it might be forced to suspend its US operations.
Conditions on TikTok
The White House called the TikTok’s statement a “stunt”. “We have laid out our position clearly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The law requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations to an approved buyer. Without a completed sale, mobile app stores and internet hosting providers would be prohibited from offering the app to US users.
