WASHINGTON: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban after he takes office on Monday, as the app with 170 million American users buzzed with nervous anticipation ahead of a shutdown set for Sunday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC in an interview. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”The Chinese-owned app, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, said it will go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple AAPL.O and Google GOOGL.O that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security. The WhiteHouse dismissed TikTok’s Friday comment as a stunt, reiterating on Saturday that it was up to the incoming Trump administration to take action, increasing the likelihood of a shutdown on Sunday. “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,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement.Users on the app were saying their goodbyes, some filming themselves frantically scrolling or sharing final secrets with their followers ahead of the ban.