The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it will not enforce the upcoming TikTok ban set to take effect on Sunday. Instead, enforcement of the ban will be left to the incoming Trump administration.
A White House official explained the decision to ABC News, stating, “Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership. Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before the inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement.”
The ban targets TikTok’s operations in the U.S. due to concerns over its ownership by ByteDance, a Chinese company.
While the app itself isn’t required to shut down immediately, the Justice Department has the authority to levy fines of $5,000 per user against app stores or internet hosting services that continue supporting TikTok.
With approximately 170 million monthly users in the U.S., such penalties could escalate quickly.
Under current legislation, ByteDance must sell TikTok to an American company to avoid a ban. The president has the power to grant a one-time 90-day extension if certain conditions are met:
- TikTok must demonstrate it is on a clear path toward divestment from ByteDance.
- There must be evidence of significant progress toward a sale.
- Progress must be formalized through binding legal agreements.
TikTok has remained a focal point in debates about data privacy and national security, with critics pointing to the potential for user data to be accessed by the Chinese government.
The Biden administration’s decision to defer enforcement of the ban places responsibility squarely on the Trump administration, which has maintained a hardline stance on TikTok.
As of now, TikTok’s future remains uncertain. It is unclear whether the incoming Trump administration will proceed with enforcing the ban, issue penalties, or provide an extension to ByteDance to finalize a divestment.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.