Trump will keep TikTok from 'going dark', says adviser
· RTE.ieUS President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser has said the new administration will keep TikTok alive in the United States if there is a viable deal.
"We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark," Representative Mike Waltz told Fox News, noting the law gives authority for a 90-day extension for the app's Chinese owner ByteDance to complete a divestiture "as long as a viable deal is on the table".
He explained: "Essentially that buys President Trump time to keep TikTok going."
TikTok did not immediately comment.
Spokesperson for the Trump transition, Karoline Leavitt, said: "President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok and there's no better deal maker than Donald Trump."
According to people familiar with the matter, TikTok plans to shut US operations of its social media app - used by 170 million Americans - on 19 January, when a federal ban is set to take effect, barring a last-minute reprieve.
The law signed in April mandates a ban on new TikTok downloads on Apple or Google app stores if Chinese parent ByteDance fails to divest the site.
Users who have downloaded TikTok would theoretically still be able to use the app but the law also bars US companies from providing services to enable the distribution, maintenance or updating of the technology once any ban begins.
TikTok CEO to attend Mr Trump's inauguration
The Wall Street Journal reported TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend the US presidential inauguration on 20 January and sit among high-profile guests invited by Mr Trump, including Tesla, X and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg.
A source told Reuters Mr Chew is set to be in Washington on Monday 19 January.
Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, criticised the decision to invite Mr Chew on social media platform X.
"Trump talks a big game on China & wanted to ban TikTok - just like many Republicans voted to do," Mr Pallone said.
He continued: "But now he's inviting TikTok's CEO to sit beside him at his inauguration even though TikTok is linked to the CCP & is a threat to our national security. What message does this send?"
The US Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold the law and allow TikTok to be banned on Sunday, overturn the law, or pause the law to give the court more time to make a decision.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each.
It has more than 7,000 employees in the United States.
Mr Trump pledged to save TikTok on the campaign trail and has been mulling ways to stall the ban or rescue the app, according to the Washington Post.
Once Mr Trump takes office, the law's implementation will fall to his attorney general, who could choose not to enforce it, or stall, defying Congress's overwhelming support for the legislation.