Joe Biden Hands TikTok’s Fate to President-Elect Donald Trump as the App's Ban Deadline Looms

President Joe Biden has decided not to enforce the looming TikTok ban set to take effect the day before he leaves office, effectively handing the decision over to President-elect Donald Trump.

A U.S. official confirmed to the Associated Press that Biden, 82, will not take action on the law targeting the Chinese-owned social media app, leaving its fate in the hands of the incoming administration.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

The law, which Biden signed after it cleared both chambers of Congress last year, requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the app by Jan. 19 or face an outright ban in the U.S. TikTok, which boasts over 170 million American users, had reportedly been preparing to shut down operations this weekend.

However, Trump—who has expressed a desire to “save” TikTok—is reportedly considering executive action that could delay the ban for up to 90 days.

Trump's Plan to Keep TikTok Online

Incoming White House national security adviser Mike Waltz assured Fox News on Thursday that steps would be taken to prevent TikTok from going dark.

"We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark," Waltz stated, explaining that the law allows for an extension if a “viable deal” is on the table.

Meanwhile, TikTok has taken legal action to challenge the ban. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court agreed to fast-track the case, hearing arguments last week. Lawyers for TikTok argued that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act violates the First Amendment, as it restricts free speech.

National Security vs. Free Speech

Supporters of the ban argue that TikTok, under ByteDance’s ownership, poses a national security risk due to its ties to the Chinese Communist Party, which they claim could access sensitive user data and manipulate content to influence American users.

Reuters

The Supreme Court could issue its ruling as early as Friday, and the justices appeared skeptical that TikTok’s free speech concerns outweigh national security threats.

Trump’s Team Asks for Delay

Trump’s incoming solicitor general, John Sauer, filed a brief last month urging the court to delay the law until Trump takes office, arguing that the issue could be handled “through political means.”

Adding to the intrigue, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew—who reportedly visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago last month in an effort to stop the ban—will be attending Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday. He’ll be joining a lineup of Silicon Valley titans, including Elon Musk (X), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Tim Cook (Apple), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon).

With TikTok’s future now tied to Trump’s next move, the social media giant may live to see another day—or face a sudden shutdown if a deal isn’t reached in time. Either way, the decision rests firmly in Trump’s hands as he steps back into the White House.