Top adviser says Trump will prevent platform shutdowns


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US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser says he will find a way to save TikTok before a ban on the app takes effect this weekend.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., said Trump would intervene if the Supreme Court upheld a law that would ban the platform from being sold in the U.S. unless it is sold before January 19.

According to NBC News, the Biden administration was still looking for ways to prevent TikTok from disappearing suddenly last week.

Chinese owner ByteDance said it planned to shut down the app for its 170 million U.S. users by Sunday.

“We will take steps to prevent TikTok from shutting down,” Walz said Thursday.

He noted that the law allows ByteDance a 90-day extension if the sale makes significant progress.

“Essentially, this buys President Trump time to let TikTok continue to grow,” Walz said.

A day earlier, the incoming national security adviser suggested on Fox News that Trump was planning to issue an executive order to suspend the ban.

However, it is unclear whether such measures would circumvent laws passed by Congress.

The app has been banned on national security grounds amid concerns that its data could be collected by the Chinese Communist Party.

But according to the New York Times, Trump has invited TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to attend the presidential inauguration next Monday and sit in an honorary position on the podium.

WATCH: Can young Americans live without TikTok?

Trump had previously asked the Supreme Court to delay the ban – which would take effect the day before he is sworn in – so he could pursue a “political” solution.

Congress passed a bipartisan law last year giving TikTok owner ByteDance nine months to find a U.S.-approved buyer or face a U.S. ban on the platform.

The legislation does not ban the use of the app, but would require tech giants such as Apple and Google to stop offering the app and ban updates, which analysts believe will kill the app over time.

President Joe Biden signed the bill into law last April as part of a package of aid to Ukraine and Israel.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi ChewGetty Images

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew

But NBC News reports that Biden has also been considering how to keep the app available after the ban takes effect.

Under the plan, they will delay the issue, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC.

TikTok and ByteDance deny ties to the Chinese government. They also ruled out a sale.

The Supreme Court last week heard arguments from TikTok and ByteDance against the law.

A decision is expected at any time.

Both Biden and Trump have reversed positions on the platform.

Trump tried to ban the app during his first term but said on the campaign trail this year that he would protect it.



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