TikTok seeks Biden’s assurance against US ban “`

The Chinese-owned video-sharing platform seeks assurances from the US government regarding a potential nationwide ban.

TikTok has threatened to cease US operations this Sunday unless the Biden administration guarantees it won’t be banned. A federal law mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest its US operations by Sunday or face restrictions.

In a Saturday statement, TikTok declared that recent pronouncements from the White House and Department of Justice lack the clarity needed to reassure essential service providers, jeopardizing the platform’s accessibility to over 170 million American users.

The company asserted that without immediate and definitive assurances from the Biden administration to satisfy these providers, TikTok will be forced to shut down on January 19th.

The potential ban stems from the 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, mandating ByteDance to sell its US operations or face a nationwide ban to mitigate national security concerns linked to its Chinese ownership. TikTok denies posing any threat, claiming it has never shared US user data with Beijing.

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law, with unanimous agreement that the Congressional mandate did not infringe on free speech protections.

Reports suggest the Biden administration has deferred the decision on a TikTok ban to President-elect Donald Trump, who assumes office on January 20th.

Trump has hinted at an upcoming decision, stating he needs time to review the situation. He also mentioned a “very good” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which TikTok was discussed.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and has expressed gratitude for Trump’s willingness to work towards preventing a ban. Trump’s incoming national security advisor, Mike Waltz, suggested TikTok could continue operating if a “viable deal” is reached.

“We will implement measures to prevent TikTok from going offline,” Waltz stated, noting the legislation allows a 90-day extension for ByteDance to complete the divestiture.