Ending TikTok Ban Reportedly a Trump Priority

One of the biggest apps in the App Store, TikTok, is currently on track to be banned in the US from early 2025. But according to a new report, President-elect Donald Trump is set to prevent the ban.

Trump's Shifting Outlook on TikTok

Jeff Stein, Drew Harwell, and Jacob Boguege in The Washington Post:

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to try to stop a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. next year after he vowed on the campaign trail to save the popular social media app if he wins, according to people familiar with his thinking. The video-sharing app faces a January deadline to find a new owner not based in China or lose access to U.S. users, under a law passed in April with bipartisan support.

One such “familiar” is actually quoted in the article: Kellyanne Conway. She says, “There are many ways to hold China accountable other than alienating 180 million U.S. users every month.”

Trump, for his part, has made “saving TikTok” part of his campaign promises. The stance represents a major shift from comments made during his first administration, when his “America First” stance regularly led to clashes with China.

What’s Next for TikTok?

Currently, under a law passed earlier this year and signed by President Biden, the TikTok ban will go into effect the day before Trump takes office again.

It’s unclear what exactly Trump will do to try to prevent the ban. Or whether he will try to stop it before it passes in January, or simply try to repeal it once he takes office with the GOP congressional majority.

Either way, TikTok's fate in the U.S. remains clouded in uncertainty.