President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser said Thursday that the new administration will keep TikTok alive in the United States if there is a workable agreement.
“We will take steps to keep TikTok from going dark,” Congressman Mike Walz told Fox News, adding that the law would require China's ByteDance, the app's owner, to “sell it for as long as it remains viable.” “We have authorized a 90-day extension for completion.” The deal is on the table. Essentially, it would buy President Trump time to keep TikTok going. ”
TikTok did not immediately comment.
“President Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to save TikTok, and there is no better consensus builder than Donald Trump,” said Caroline Leavitt, Trump's transition spokeswoman.
TikTok, the social media app used by 170 million Americans, will leave the U.S. unless there is a last-minute reprieve when the federal ban goes into effect on Sunday, according to people familiar with the matter, according to Reuters. The plan is to cease operations.
A law signed in April requires Chinese parent company ByteDance to ban new downloads of TikTok on Apple or Google's app stores if it fails to sell the site.
Users who have downloaded TikTok can theoretically still use the app, but once the ban begins, the law also prohibits U.S. companies from providing services that enable distribution, maintenance, and updates.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok CEO Xiang Zhi Chu attended the presidential inauguration ceremony on January 20th and was among the dignitaries invited by President Trump. It was reported that he would be sitting on the Thieu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday, sources told Reuters.
Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, criticized the decision to invite Chu on social media platform X.
“Trump talked big on China and wanted to ban TikTok, just as many Republicans voted for it,” Pallone said. “But now he's inviting TikTok's CEO to sit next to him at his inauguration, even though TikTok has ties to the Chinese Communist Party and is a threat to our national security. What message does this send? Are you telling me?”
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold the law and ban TikTok on Sunday, overturn the law, or suspend it to give the court time to make its decision.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors including BlackRock and General Atlantic, with its founders and employees each owning 20%. We have more than 7,000 employees in the United States.
