In President Joe Biden’s final week in office, his administration is exploring ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S. if a ban, set for Sunday, January 19, takes effect. The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on the law this week, and if it upholds the law, Biden’s administration is considering options to prevent TikTok from being banned. Officials say Americans shouldn’t expect TikTok to suddenly disappear, but if the law stands, the ban will have to be enforced.
The law, passed in April with bipartisan support, requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to an American company by January 19. There is also a provision that allows for a 90-day extension if “significant progress” is made in the sale. TikTok has considered keeping the app running after the ban date, but without new updates or bug fixes.
While both Biden and former President Donald Trump have previously expressed national security concerns about TikTok, they have now signaled that they don’t support the ban. The law, which was passed with concerns about data privacy and national security, claims that American data could be compromised by the Chinese government. TikTok argues that the concerns are unfounded and that all user data from the U.S. is stored in the country.
As the deadline approaches, many TikTok users are downloading the Chinese version of the app, known as RedNote. It has quickly gained popularity, ranking at the top of app stores, as many users joke about preferring to learn Mandarin instead of returning to other platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
The Supreme Court’s ruling will play a key role in determining the future of TikTok in the U.S. The law’s goal is to protect American data and ensure national security, but it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
