Trump considers executive order to stop ‘TikTok ban’

US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of issuing an executive order to block the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 60 to 90 days.

 This comes as the deadline for TikTok’s removal from US app stores approaches on January 19, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to accept a legal challenge from TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance.

The proposed ban would force app stores such as Google PlayStore and Apple App Store to make TikTok unavailable for download in the US. However, current users would still be able to use the app, although without future updates, which would eventually render the app inoperable.

The ban stems from ongoing national security concerns raised by the US government. The primary issue revolves around the belief that user data collected by TikTok could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government, given that ByteDance is based in China. This has led to calls for the app's removal due to fears over data privacy and security risks.

Should Trump’s executive order move forward, it could temporarily halt the ban's implementation and allow for further debate on the app's future in the US.