“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate.”
President-elect Donald Trump stated Saturday that he will “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day extension to comply with federal regulations requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest ownership as TikTok has said the app will “go dark” on Sunday.
In an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker, Trump explained that while no decision has been finalized, an extension is under serious consideration.
"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate. You know, it's appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation," Trump said. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday.”
The extension, which is allowed under the law under specific conditions, may still come too late to prevent TikTok’s operations from shutting down at least for one day. The deadline for compliance is Sunday, and Trump would be unable to issue an extension until he takes office on Monday.
On Friday, TikTok announced that its platform will “go dark” for 170 million US users on Sunday unless clarity is provided to service providers like Apple and Google that they will not face penalties for keeping the app available. This comes after the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision to keep the ban in effect.
The shutdown stems from a federal law passed last April with bipartisan support, requiring TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese owner due to national security concerns. The government has argued that ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government and the app’s extensive data collection pose significant risks to the United States.
The Supreme Court upheld the law in a unanimous 9-0 decision, citing “TikTok’s scale and susceptibility to foreign adversary control, together with the vast swaths of sensitive data the platform collects.”
Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s announcement as a “stunt,” saying, “We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday."
It is unclear what exactly will happen to the app should it “go dark” on Sunday, such as if TikTok will voluntarily shut down or the app will no longer function due to losing the necessary services. Although the Biden administration has indicated that the process regarding the ban will unfold “over time,” TikTok argued that these comments are insufficient. Under the law, service providers could face penalties of up to $5,000 per US user for continuing to distribute the app, according to the New York Times.
"The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said.
President-elect Trump, who has previously supported banning TikTok, has expressed mixed signals about how his administration will proceed. While Trump urged the Supreme Court to delay the ban to allow negotiations, the request was denied. Reports suggest he has considered issuing an executive order to circumvent the ban, but no decision has been made.
“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future,” Trump has previously stated. “But I must have time to review the situation.”
As bipartisan support in Congress for the ban remains strong, TikTok’s future in the United States hangs in the balance as the deadline approaches.
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