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Joe Biden’s administration has no plans to take immediate action to shut down TikTok in the United States, despite legal requirements that come into effect on Sunday, 19 January. A White House spokesman said this in a comment to ABC News.
The position of the administration
“Our position is clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership. The law comes into force during the long weekend, the day before the inauguration of the new president, so implementation will be the responsibility of the next administration,” the representative said.
Thus, the Biden administration is signalling that it does not plan to comply with the law passed by Congress, which provides for the transfer of TikTok to a US company or its ban in the US.
Possible consequences for TikTok
Although the law does not require TikTok to cease operations immediately, the app may suspend its operations in the US on 19 January to demonstrate the impact of the ban. TikTok has around 170 million monthly active users in the United States.
In addition, the law allows the Department of Justice to impose significant fines – up to $5,000 per user – on online app stores that continue to host TikTok in the US.
Reaction of technology companies
Technology giants such as Apple, Google and Oracle have not yet commented on whether they will continue to support TikTok after the law comes into force.
Limited deferral options
The president can grant a one-time extension of the ban for up to 90 days, but TikTok must meet several conditions:
- Demonstration of progress in the transfer of ownership to a US company.
- Evidence of significant changes in the ownership structure.
- Legal support for these changes.
As of today, there is no indication that TikTok has complied with these requirements.
