Washington D.C: As President Joe Biden prepares to exit the White House, he has decided not to enforce a pending ban on the popular social media app TikTok. The ban, which is set to take effect on January 19, just one day before Biden’s departure, has now been left in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.
A U.S. official confirmed on Thursday that the Biden administration would not take action to enforce the law that requires TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest the company by the specified deadline. This decision comes after Congress passed a law, signed by President Biden, mandating the divestiture, but the outgoing administration has opted to leave its implementation and the potential enforcement of the ban to the incoming Trump administration.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained that the outgoing administration had opted not to intervene in the final stages of this decision.
This move puts TikTok’s future in the U.S. squarely in the hands of President-elect Trump, who had previously called for a ban on the app during his term but has since indicated a shift in stance. Trump has pledged to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S., although his transition team has not yet clarified how they plan to manage or secure the app’s future.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and has been granted a prominent seat on the dais. Incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz signaled that the new administration may explore options to ensure TikTok’s availability in the U.S., stating on Fox News that the federal law, which could lead to a ban, allows for an extension if a “viable deal” is still in progress.
