Can Donald Trump ‘save TikTok’? The clock is ticking.

News

  • Today's news
  • US
  • Politics
  • World
  • Tech
    • Reviews and deals
    • Audio
    • Computing
    • Gaming
    • Health
    • Home
    • Phones
    • Science
    • TVs
  • Climate change
  • Health
  • Science
  • 2024 election
  • Originals
    • The 360
  • Newsletters

Life

  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Fall allergies
    • Health news
    • Mental health
    • Relax
    • Sexual health
    • Studies
    • The Unwind
  • Parenting
    • Family health
    • So mini ways
  • Style and beauty
    • It Figures
    • Unapologetically
  • Horoscopes
  • Shopping
    • Buying guides
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Autos
  • Gift ideas
  • Buying guides

Entertainment

  • Celebrity
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Music
  • How to Watch
  • Interviews
  • Videos

Finance

  • My Portfolio
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Stock Market
    • Originals
    • The Morning Brief
    • Premium News
    • Economics
    • Housing
    • Earnings
    • Tech
    • Crypto
    • Biden Economy
  • Markets
    • Stocks: Most Actives
    • Stocks: Gainers
    • Stocks: Losers
    • Trending Tickers
    • Futures
    • World Indices
    • US Treasury Bonds Rates
    • Currencies
    • Crypto
    • Top ETFs
    • Top Mutual Funds
    • Options: Highest Open Interest
    • Options: Highest Implied Volatility
    • Sectors
    • Basic Materials
    • Communication Services
    • Consumer Cyclical
    • Consumer Defensive
    • Energy
    • Financial Services
    • Healthcare
    • Industrials
    • Real Estate
    • Technology
    • Utilities
  • Research
    • Screeners
    • Screeners Beta
    • Watchlists
    • Calendar
    • Stock Comparison
    • Advanced Chart
    • Currency Converter
    • Investment Ideas
    • Research Reports
  • Personal Finance
    • Credit Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Cash-back Cards
    • Rewards Cards
    • Travel Cards
    • Credit Card Offers
    • Banking
    • CD Rates
    • Best HYSA
    • Best Free Checking
    • Student Loans
    • Personal Loans
    • Insurance
    • Car insurance
    • Mortgages
    • Mortgage Refinancing
    • Mortgage Calculator
    • Taxes
  • Videos
    • Invest
    • Latest News
    • Editor's Picks
    • Investing Insights
    • Trending Stocks
    • All Shows
    • Morning Brief
    • Opening Bid
    • Wealth
    • ETF Report

Sports

  • Fantasy
    • News
    • Fantasy football
    • Best Ball
    • Pro Pick 'Em
    • College Pick 'Em
    • Fantasy baseball
    • Fantasy hockey
    • Fantasy basketball
    • Download the app
  • Daily fantasy
  • NFL
    • News
    • Scores and schedules
    • Standings
    • Stats
    • Teams
    • Players
    • Drafts
    • Injuries
    • Odds
    • Super Bowl
    • GameChannel
    • Videos
  • MLB
    • News
    • Scores and schedules
    • Standings
    • Stats
    • Teams
    • Players
    • Odds
    • Videos
    • World Baseball Classic
  • NBA
    • News
    • Draft
    • Scores and schedules
    • Standings
    • Stats
    • Teams
    • Players
    • Injuries
    • Videos
    • Odds
    • Playoffs
  • NHL
    • News
    • Scores and schedules
    • Standings
    • Stats
    • Teams
    • Players
    • Odds
    • Playoffs
  • Soccer
    • News
    • Scores and schedules
    • Premier League
    • MLS
    • NWSL
    • Liga MX
    • CONCACAF League
    • Champions League
    • La Liga
    • Serie A
    • Bundesliga
    • Ligue 1
    • World Cup
  • College football
    • News
    • Scores and schedules
    • Standings
    • Rankings
    • Stats
    • Teams
    • MMA
    • WNBA
    • Sportsbook
    • NCAAF
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NASCAR
    • NCAAB
    • NCAAW
    • Boxing
    • USFL
    • Cycling
    • Motorsports
    • Olympics
    • Horse racing
    • GameChannel
    • Rivals
    • Newsletters
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • RSS
    • Jobs
    • Help
    • World Cup
    • More news

New on Yahoo

  • Creators
  • Games
  • Tech
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Your Privacy Choices
  • Feedback

© 2024 All rights reserved. About our ads Advertising Careers Yahoo Finance Yahoo Finance Search query Select edition

  • USEnglish
  • US y LATAMEspañol
  • AustraliaEnglish
  • CanadaEnglish
  • CanadaFrançais
  • DeutschlandDeutsch
  • FranceFrançais
  • 香港繁中
  • MalaysiaEnglish
  • New ZealandEnglish
  • SingaporeEnglish
  • 台灣繁中
  • UKEnglish
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
    • News
      • Today's news
      • US
      • Politics
      • World
      • Weather
      • Climate change
      • Health
      • Science
      • 2024 election
      • Originals
      • Newsletters
    • Life
      • Health
      • Parenting
      • Style and beauty
      • Horoscopes
      • Shopping
      • Food
      • Travel
      • Autos
      • Gift ideas
      • Buying guides
    • Entertainment
      • Celebrity
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • How to watch
      • Interviews
      • Videos
    • Finance
      • My portfolio
      • Watchlists
      • Markets
      • News
      • Videos
      • Screeners
      • Personal finance
      • Crypto
      • Industries
    • Sports
      • Fantasy
      • NFL
      • NBA
      • MLB
      • NHL
      • College football
      • College basketball
      • Soccer
      • MMA
      • Yahoo Sports AM
      • New on Yahoo
        • Creators
        • Games
        • Tech
      • Selected edition

Sign in

    Upgrade to Premium Can Donald Trump ‘save TikTok’? The clock is ticking. Alexis Keenan · Senior Legal Reporter Sat, Nov 16, 2024, 11:00 AM 3 min read

    In This Article:

    DJT DJTWW

    Congress and President Joe Biden agreed months ago to outlaw TikTok from operating in the US under Chinese ownership. Donald Trump’s reelection could throw a potential wrench into that plan.

    Trump’s statements on the campaign trail suggest he may at least try to tinker with the impact of a law signed by Biden in April that makes Chinese ownership of the app illegal.

    The law, called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACAA), gives TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, an ultimatum to either sell TikTok to a US owner or have it banned from operations in the country.

    Biden set Jan. 19, a day before Trump is scheduled to be sworn into office, as a deadline for the required divestment — unless the company is able to overturn the law in a court case currently playing out in Washington, D.C.

    Once back in office, President-elect Trump could ask Congress to undo the law. His chances to do so, if he chooses, may have improved this past week after it was confirmed that Republicans secured enough votes to control both chambers of Congress.

    President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with the House GOP conference on Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) · ASSOCIATED PRESS

    In September, the president-elect suggested in a post to his social media website, Truth Social, that he would "save TikTok" and prevent federal law enforcement from shuttering the app.

    "We’re not doing anything with TikTok, but the other side is going to close it up, so if you like TikTok, go out and vote for Trump," the former president said in the post.

    One political complication for Trump is that he spent his time in office and on the campaign trail promising to protect Americans and US industry against Chinese espionage and other economic threats.

    But Trump-Vance transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, when asked about TikTok, indicated that the president-elect would follow through on what he pledged.

    She told Yahoo Finance that “the American people reelected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.”

    ByteDance isn’t necessarily waiting on a new Trump administration to save TikTok. It has asked the District of Columbia’s US Court of Appeals to evaluate the constitutionality of the law.

    The appeals court heard arguments from both sides on Sept. 16, and lawyers for the Justice Department asked the judges to issue their ruling by Dec. 6.

    The court could issue a decision either before or after Trump’s inauguration. The losing side could also appeal the result to the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority.

    ByteDance’s argument to the appeals court is that the law ran afoul of the First Amendment’s free speech protections, the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause, and protections against bills of attainder — also known as ex post facto laws that deem previously legal activity as illegal and then reach back in time to punish violators for past actions.

    The Justice Department, on the other hand, argues that compelling US national security interests justify restricting a foreign adversary from owning, directing, and controlling a platform like TikTok, including operation of the app's recommendation algorithms and editorial decisions.

    TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks to reporters in March 2023 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) · ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Fifty-five members of Congress have also urged the D.C. appeals court to uphold the law, emphasizing that Congress chose to enact it after identifying specific threats from China.

    FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that TikTok "screams" of US security concerns because government authorities can demand that TikTok hand over user data.

    TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, however, told members of Congress that same month that "ByteDance is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government” and “is a private company."

    Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on X @alexiskweed.

    Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market

    Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

    Terms and Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices

    Recommended Stories

  • Related Posts

    Exxon group pulls out of talks with Guyana over shallow water oil block, government says

    News Today's news US Politics World Tech Reviews and deals Audio Computing Gaming Health Home Phones Science TVs Climate change Health Science 2024 election Originals The 360 Newsletters Life Health…

    Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations

    News Today's news US Politics World Tech Reviews and deals Audio Computing Gaming Health Home Phones Science TVs Climate change Health Science 2024 election Originals The 360 Newsletters Life Health…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Website Use of Third-Party Tracking Software Not Prohibited Under Massachusetts Wiretap Act

    • By admin
    • November 22, 2024
    • 0 views
    Website Use of Third-Party Tracking Software Not Prohibited Under Massachusetts Wiretap Act

    Exxon group pulls out of talks with Guyana over shallow water oil block, government says

    • By admin
    • November 22, 2024
    • 0 views
    Exxon group pulls out of talks with Guyana over shallow water oil block, government says

    Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations

    • By admin
    • November 22, 2024
    • 0 views
    Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations

    Department of Labor’s New Overtime Rule Overturned by Federal Court in Texas

    • By admin
    • November 21, 2024
    • 5 views
    Department of Labor’s New Overtime Rule Overturned by Federal Court in Texas

    Bosch to reduce hours for 450 employees due to tough economy

    • By admin
    • November 21, 2024
    • 2 views
    Bosch to reduce hours for 450 employees due to tough economy

    Students can now apply for federal college aid. Officials hope for a smoother rollout this year

    • By admin
    • November 21, 2024
    • 4 views
    Students can now apply for federal college aid. Officials hope for a smoother rollout this year