US President Joe Biden has decided not to enforce the looming ban on popular video app TikTok, suggest reports citing an unidentified US official.
The ban on TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned social media app, was set to take effect just one day before Biden leaves office, but will now be left for the incoming Trump administration to handle, the Associated Press reported.
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The controversial law, passed by both chambers of the US Congress and signed by Biden last year, requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell to a non-Chinese owner by January 19 or face a full ban in the US.
Trump inherits TikTok ban conundrum
TikTok, which boasts a user base of over 170 million Americans, as per reports, has started working to halt operations on Sunday (Jan 20). Despite the app's popularity, concerns over data security and its ties to China have made it a focal point of national security debates leading to the looming ban.
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President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office the day after the Jan 19 deadline as per reports, will now inherit the issue.
Although Trump had previously called for a ban on TikTok, recently his stance has shifted. Reports suggest that the Republican is now exploring options to delay the enforcement of the law for up to 90 days, potentially giving TikTok's parent company ByteDance more time to comply.
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Donald Trump's changing TikTok stance
Trump had previously attempted to ban TikTok on national security grounds during his first term. At the time, he cited fears of data misuse and propaganda from the Chinese government. These concerns, echoed by Democrats, led his successor, Joe Biden, to sign a law banning the app.
However, Trump recently shifted his perspective and has since softened his stance.
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In December, he even expressed newfound support for the app and said: "Now (that) I'm thinking about it. I'm for TikTok, because you need competition."
"If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg," he told Bloomberg.
(With inputs from agencies)