Trump indicates likely 90-day extension for TikTok’s compliance with US law
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump smiles during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. on Dec. 22, 2024. (AFP Photo)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump indicated Saturday that he is “most likely” to grant TikTok a 90-day extension to comply with U.S. law, requiring ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, to sell its U.S. operations.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News.
The law, enacted last year, mandates ByteDance divest TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a ban. While the Biden administration has deferred enforcement, TikTok warned it may shut down operations without “clarity and assurance” from U.S. officials.
TikTok concers a ‘stunt’
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s concerns a “stunt” in a statement early Saturday, emphasizing that any decisions now fall to the incoming administration.
The comments reflect a shift from Trump’s earlier efforts to ban TikTok, with evolving views amid concerns about ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government. The Supreme Court upheld the ban on Friday, and Trump pledged to decide TikTok’s future “in the not-too-distant future.”
As the deadline approaches, TikTok’s availability to over 170 million U.S. users remains uncertain.
