Joe Biden administration issues encouraging update on US TikTok ban

The Biden administration has given an encouraging update on the future of TikTok in the United States as Joe Biden’s presidency comes to an end.

In just a few days, an effective ban on TikTok, the Chinese-owned short-form video platform, being able to operate in the US could be due to come into effect.

It comes amid concerns from US officials over TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, its potential links to the Chinese government and the massive amount of data it holds about US citizens.

With 170 million American users, content creators are understandably worried about what the ban might mean for them, but the Biden administration has issued an update that may help relieve some stress.

“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official said.

They added that the team is “exploring options” for how to implement the law in order to prevent the app from going down.

However, if they are not able to find a solution before the Sunday 19 January deadline, a White House official said: “We are not considering deferring enforcement”.

“Statutorily, we don’t believe we have the authority to do that,” the official stated.

However, the incoming president Donald Trump has a very different stance on the TikTok ban, having drastically changed his mind since saying “we’re banning them” in 2020. Instead, Trump said he would “save” the platform when he was appealing for votes in the November 2024 presidential election

Trump’s inauguration is due to take place on 20 January. Pam Bondi, Trump’s incoming attorney general, refused to commit to enforcing the ban on TikTok when asked during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

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