the washington post reported that president-elect donald trump, whose term begins one day after the ban's implementation, is considering issuing an executive order to delay enforcement for 60 to 90 days. the report did not specify the legal mechanism trump might use to enact such a delay.
a law signed in april mandates a ban on new tiktok downloads from apple (aapl.o) or google (googl.o) app stores if bytedance, the chinese parent company, fails to divest tiktok. while users who already have the app could theoretically continue using it, the law also prohibits u.s. companies from providing services necessary for its distribution, maintenance, or updates starting sunday.
trump's transition team has yet to comment on the matter. however, trump has indicated he would seek time after taking office to negotiate a "political resolution" to the issue.
"tiktok is an incredible platform," said incoming national security adviser mike waltz during a fox news interview on wednesday. "we aim to preserve it while ensuring the protection of users' data."
additionally, the new york times reported that tiktok's ceo has been invited to attend the president-elect's inauguration in a position of honor. meanwhile, a white house official told reuters that president joe biden has no plans to prevent the ban during his final days in office unless the supreme court intervenes. the official added that biden lacks the legal authority to act without a credible plan from bytedance to divest tiktok.
