US UPDATES: Trump And TikTok: How His Win Could Impact A Potential Ban

MOLLY BOHANNON
Forbes Staff

US President-elect, Donald Trump has said recently he opposes a federal ban on TikTok—which could go into effect as soon as January—but it’s not clear if he would be able to prevent the ban that has already been approved by President Joe Biden, which is tied up in legal challenges, from going into effect.

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Trump joined TikTok earlier this year and vowed he
would never ban the app, which is challenging a ban implemented by the Biden administration.

Biden in April signed the TikTok ban, which requires ByteDance—TikTok’s China-based parent company—to sell the platform by January or be banned from U.S. app stores.

TikTok and ByteDance almost immediately challenged the law in the courts, filing a suit that said the law was targeted, unconstitutional and violated the First Amendment and that it is “not possible technologically, commercially, or legally” to divest in the time given.

Trump, who became the president-elect in Tuesday’s election, previously signed an executive order in 2020 that would have functionally outlawed the app, but was blocked in court.

Trump changed his tune in March after reportedly meeting with GOP megadonor Jeff Yass, who had a major financial stake in the app—he later joined the platform and vowed to “never ban TikTok.”

Trump also claimed the ban would only help Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, which he considers “an enemy of the people,” and he later campaigned on his support of TikTok, saying in September, “For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump. 

Culled from FORBES NEWSLETTER