Biden won't enforce TikTok ban, official says, leaving fate of app to Trump

[speak easy]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden won't enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.

Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance divest the company by Jan. 19, a day before the presidential inauguration. The official said the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law -- and the potential enforcement of the ban -- to Trump.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal Biden administration thinking.

Trump, who once called to ban the app, has since pledged to keep it available in the U.S., though his transition team has not said how they intend to accomplish that.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968

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Elon says let's make a deal. The national security shit is a scam.

[paleotn]

1. Tik Tok, for whatever reason is popular.

Any enforcement is going to be rather unpopular. Biden ain't taking a bite of that shit sandwich. Here, Donny, you eat this.

[LeftInTX]

2. Trump says he's writing an EO to suspend the ban for 60-90 days.

Trump, who has committed to "save TikTok," is considering an executive order that would suspend the ban from going into effect for 60 to 90 days, the Washington Post and CNN reported.

Trump was able to use TikTok effectively during the 2024 presidential campaign in his appeal to young voters. The video app has about 170 million American users.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/17/tiktok-ban-biden-wont-enforce-decision-trump/77773281007/

I assume, this will allow Musk to buy it.

Congress should not have made the effective date Jan 19th, but instead a few weeks earlier. One day is too rushed to enforce anything.

[speak easy]

4. "this will allow Musk to buy it." ding, ding, ding

[paleotn]

6. And destroy it like twitter.

[speak easy]

7. RW video? Move on up. Elon says hi.

[paleotn]

5. One day or 4 weeks. if I were on the way out, I wouldn't touch it. Slooooooooooooow walk at best.

It's one of those situations that's going to be shit storm no matter who does what. Enforce, people are pissed. Don't enforce, other people are pissed. Some folks in Congress are going to be pissed as hell if he tries an EO, which may or may not be legal, and may get slapped down by the courts. No matter which way this goes, it's a shit sandwich Biden doesn't have to deal with and can hand off to the next guy. I'm sure that brings a smile to his face. It would me.

Been in somewhat similar circumstances as a short timer. After I left, my replacement said sarcastically, "your timing was impeccable." Yes, I know. How's that shit sandwich working out?