Trump mulls executive order to delay TikTok ban

WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly exploring ways to halt the potential ban of TikTok, including issuing an executive order, The Washington Post revealed.

This comes as the Supreme Court appears ready to uphold the law mandating the app’s sale or ban by January 19.

Trump, set to assume office on January 20, may issue an executive order to delay the law’s enforcement for two to three months. According to The Post, sources familiar with the discussions noted that legal experts question Trump’s ability to override the bipartisan-backed law.

One insider said Trump is keen to present himself as brokering a deal that could save TikTok. He has also urged the Supreme Court to postpone the law’s implementation and has voiced support for retaining TikTok in the US, calling it a “unique medium for freedom of expression, including political speech.”

TikTok and Trump’s representatives have not commented on the matter.

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The law requiring TikTok’s ban or sale to a US-based company has bipartisan support due to concerns about national security and data privacy. Although TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, deny ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the app faces scrutiny. President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in April.

TikTok has argued in the Supreme Court that the law violates its First Amendment rights. However, the court has yet to issue a decision, just days before the law takes effect. Meanwhile, potential buyers for the app have emerged, but ByteDance has indicated it prefers shutting down TikTok over selling it. The app has approximately 170 million US users, some of whom are already shifting to alternative Chinese-developed platforms.