The Biden administration has announced that handling the complexities of the TikTok ban will be left to incoming President Donald Trump, according to ABC News.
“Our stance remains unchanged: TikTok should continue operating under American ownership,” a White House official told ABC News. “Given the timing, with the ban set to take effect over a holiday weekend and just a day before inauguration, the next administration will need to address its implementation.”
However, any resolution remains uncertain. While Trump has vaguely pledged to preserve TikTok, significant financial risks persist for companies like Apple and Google as long as the ban is legally enforced. Similarly, President-elect Joe Biden may face challenges unless he formally extends the timeline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to divest its U.S. operations. Such an extension, lasting up to 90 days, would require evidence of progress toward a sale — a step ByteDance has reportedly resisted, opting instead to contest the ban in court.
Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), have urged Biden in a letter to consider granting the extension. Yet, the White House statement does not indicate that Biden plans to take this approach, and his administration has not responded to requests for clarification from The Verge.
Although TikTok is not directly required to cease operations under the law, it may opt to suspend its U.S. services if key partners like Oracle decide against supporting its platform due to legal uncertainties. As of now, TikTok, Oracle, Apple, and Google have not disclosed how they intend to respond to the looming deadline.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has yet to deliver a definitive ruling on the matter. While it declined to pause the ban earlier, the Court announced it “may release opinions” on Friday at 10 AM ET. If no intervention occurs, the ban is expected to technically take effect on Sunday, leaving its enforcement and consequences in question.
