As TikTok faces the possibility of being banned in the United States, the outcome of the upcoming presidential election could play a crucial role in its future, especially if Donald Trump wins.
This situation is quite a turnaround for TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance. Back when Trump was president, he was one of the first to push for a ban on TikTok, raising concerns that the Chinese government could access the personal data of American users. Although he attempted to ban the app in 2020, those efforts didn’t go through because he lost his re-election bid. Now, as he campaigns for the presidency again in 2024, Trump seems to have changed his tune. He recently posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, urging his supporters to vote for him if they want to save TikTok in America.
In April, President Biden signed a law that gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok. If the company doesn’t sell the app by January 19, 2025—just one day before Trump’s potential inauguration—it will be banned. However, ByteDance can request an additional 90 days to complete the sale, which would give Trump the chance to influence the situation if he wins.
Trump’s original reasons for wanting to ban TikTok align with a broader concern among lawmakers about the potential risks of foreign companies accessing American data. While there hasn’t been any public evidence that the Chinese government has accessed TikTok user data, there have been instances where ByteDance itself accessed this data. Now, Trump seems to be more worried about how banning TikTok could help Facebook, which is owned by Mark Zuckerberg. He has expressed that without TikTok, Facebook could grow larger, and he considers Facebook to be harmful to the public.
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On Truth Social, Trump has reiterated his stance, stating he doesn’t want a TikTok ban to inadvertently boost Facebook’s business, as he views it as a significant problem for society.
Another factor that might have influenced Trump’s change of heart about TikTok is his connection with Jeff Yass, a wealthy Republican donor who has invested heavily in conservative political action committees. Yass, who has donated over $96 million this election cycle, also owns a 7% stake in ByteDance.
While Trump’s potential victory could be a positive development for TikTok, it’s important to remember that politicians often don’t follow through on their campaign promises.
