TikTok which has millions of monthly active users in Australia and would certainly be impacted by a ban on its US operations which would halt all new content created from that region being uploaded on the platform, is facing a temporary reprieve from threats of a US ban.
ByteDance has a January 19 deadline for it to sell its US operations of TikTok to an American company, or risk facing a nationwide ban, over fears that is both a data security risk and a propaganda tool of the Chinese state.
However, the incoming Trump administration which will take over the White House next week has reportedly pledged an extension.
The law allows a 90-day extension, provided that there’s a credible plan to divest. Michael Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security advisor, has said the administration intends to find a way to extend the deadline.
“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Waltz told Fox News’s Fox and Friends, adding that the law on the impending ban “allows for an extension as long as a viable deal is on the table.”
“That buys President Trump time to keep TikTok going,” said Waltz.
“It’s been a great platform for him and his campaign to get his America First message out. But at the same time, he wants
to protect their data,” Waltz said Thursday. “Conservatives don’t want the FBI, and they certainly don’t want, the Chinese
Communists getting their passwords, getting their data and being able to overly influence the American people.”
Legislation being introduced by some lawmakers in the US would give the company another 270 days to reach a deal, reported Bloomberg.
There has been some speculation that Elon Musk will acquire the US operations of TikTok if the company fails to fend off the ban.
While TikTok which has around 170 million users in the US is still challenging its impending ban in the Supreme court, even if the ban does go into effect on Sunday, those in the US will no longer be able to download TikTok from Apple or Google’s Play Stores, and those who have already downloaded it will no longer be able to update it – but they will be able to view content on it.
In response to the TikTok ban, users are reporting to be flocking RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, a China-based app that looks similar to Instagram.
RedNote has around 300 million users in China, but gained around 700,000 users over a recent two-day period, according to Reuters.