TikTok is on track to make American history as the first online platform to be banned by law . Barring an eleventh-hour intervention by Joe Biden, the popular app used by 170 million Americans will be shut down in the United States on January 19.
But the suspension could be temporary, perhaps only 24 hours: Donald Trump could in fact suspend the ban for 90 days as early as January 20, the day of his inauguration . A 90-day extension is certainly an option that we will consider. We have to look at it. If I decide to do it, I will announce it on Monday ,” the president-elect said. A three-month extension is a possibility allowed by law if specific conditions are met.
The app was one of the central topics of the tycoon's conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the TikTok CEO will be at Trump's inauguration ceremony, a presence that, according to many observers, is a show of strength against the Biden administration, with which the tug of war has been going on for months with legal actions and appeals that have reached the Supreme Court.
The experts ruled that the law can go into effect because it is supported by “national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and its relationship with a foreign adversary.” The fear is essentially that data on Americans collected by TikTok, controlled by China’s ByteDance, could end up in the hands of the Beijing government .
Initially in favor of the ban provided for by the law, Trump changed his position over the months, siding with a rescue of the app, which proved decisive in his victory, especially among young people.
(Online Union)
