Trump’s Possible Executive Order on TikTok

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, he’s considering an executive order that could delay the TikTok ban set to go into effect this Sunday.

This executive order would essentially freeze the enforcement of the ban for a period of 60 to 90 days, according to sources familiar with the situation, as reported by the Washington Post.

This timing is significant as Trump’s inauguration takes place on Monday, just one day after the ban is scheduled to become official.

The TikTok ban requires the app’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US assets by January 19, 2025, or risk being removed from US app stores due to concerns about its connections to the Chinese government.

Impact of the Ban

Under the current law, Americans would still be able to use TikTok, but new downloads would be blocked, and the app’s software would eventually degrade without updates.

This would slowly render it less functional over time. However, despite the ban’s impending arrival, Trump has shown consistent interest in overturning it since President Joe Biden signed the law into effect last April.

The Role of Executive Orders

Trump has made his intentions clear to his 14 million TikTok followers, stating that he plans to “save” the app once he takes office.

However, experts are skeptical about the effectiveness of an executive order to undo the ban.

Since the law was passed by Congress with broad bipartisan support, an executive order may not be enough to completely reverse it.

Alan Rozenshtein, a former national security adviser at the Department of Justice, explained that executive orders are essentially symbolic and cannot completely override laws passed by Congress.

“They’re just press releases with nicer stationary,” he said.

Even if the order is signed, TikTok would still be banned, and companies like Apple and Google would still be legally prohibited from working with the app.

Potential Alternatives for Trump

There are other ways that Trump could attempt to reverse the ban.

The most straightforward option would be to push for a repeal of the law itself.

However, this would require passing legislation in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, a challenge that could require significant bipartisan support.

Another strategy could involve the Department of Justice. Trump might try to prevent the DOJ from enforcing the law, which includes penalties for companies that continue to offer TikTok in app stores or provide the infrastructure that the app relies on.

If the DOJ chooses not to enforce these fines, tech companies like Apple and Google might continue to offer TikTok without fear of penalty.

Still, these companies could choose to comply with the ban, fearing possible repercussions should the administration change its stance later.

TikTok’s Response to the Ban

In response to the ban, sources revealed that TikTok is considering shutting down its app for US users if the federal ban takes effect this Sunday.

If the shutdown happens, users attempting to open the app will see a message directing them to a website with information about the ban.

TikTok also plans to offer users the chance to download their data to retain their personal information.

Interestingly, the company has indicated that it could resume service fairly quickly if the ban is reversed, noting that the infrastructure for such a move is already in place and doesn’t require long-term planning.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn