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Donald Trump said he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban, which is set to take effect on Sunday, ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.
Trump told NBC News that an announcement on the matter would likely be made on Monday when he takes office.
It came after the social media platform warned that it would “go dark” on Sunday unless the outgoing Biden administration gave assurances that the ban would not be enforced.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a law that would ban the app in the US unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by January 19. ByteDance refused to look for a buyer.
Late Friday, TikTok said the White House and the Justice Department “failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurances to service providers that are integral to maintaining the availability of TikTok.”
But White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Saturday that TikTok’s warning that it was going dark was a “trick.”
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” she said.
“We have clearly and directly stated our position: actions to implement this law lie with the next administration. Therefore, TikTok and other companies should address any issues with them.”
Trump said Friday that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed TikTok, among other issues.
TikTok CEO Shaw Ji-chu is expected to be among the tech executives at Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
US national security officials have warned that Chinese spies could use the app’s data collection to track US federal employees and contractors, which TikTok has denied.
On Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Washington accused the US of unfairly suppressing TikTok: “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson said.
The platform is wildly popular with 170 million users in the US, some of whom have lobbied members of Congress against the ban. It has also been a valuable tool for American political campaigns to reach young voters.
Trump has previously supported a ban on TikTok, but more recently declared his “commitment” to the app, touting the billions of views he said his videos on the platform garnered during last year’s presidential campaign.
According to a law passed last April, the US version of the program will be removed from app stores and web hosting in the coming days.
Content creators and small businesses who depend on the app for profit have told the BBC that their lives will change dramatically if it is shut down.
“Indirectly, TikTok has been a big part of my income because all the brands want to promote their stuff on the app,” Nicole Bloomgarden, a fashion designer and artist who uses TikTok, told the BBC.
TikTok did not respond to the BBC’s inquiry about what it meant by a potential “blackout” in the US.
One possible outcome is what happened in India when the platform went toe-to-toe with the authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the shutdown of dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok, in 2020 after a deadly standoff with Chinese forces along disputed border areas.
Two weeks later, 200 million Indian TikTok users were no longer able to log in after Indian internet service providers were ordered to block access to the app.
Google and Apple app stores have also stopped offering TikTok. The app has not legally challenged India’s ban.
After the platform’s ban, short-form competitors largely filled the void with TikTok imitators, Meta-owned Instagram Reels, and Google-owned YouTube Shorts.
Many see Meta as the clear winner from the TikTok ban in India.
