ALBAWABA- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he plans to issue an executive order on his first day in office to temporarily lift the TikTok ban, which took effect over the weekend.
Trump also floated the idea of the U.S. government taking a partial ownership stake in the popular social media platform.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated his intent to "not let TikTok stay dark" after officially taking office on Monday.
The app went offline late Saturday following the enforcement of a bipartisan law banning TikTok in the U.S., which the Supreme Court upheld last week.
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” Trump wrote.
He added that his order would ensure companies involved in TikTok's continued operation would face no legal repercussions for their actions before the executive order.
Trump proposed the U.S. could take a 50% ownership stake in TikTok, either in collaboration with ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, or through a new joint venture with approved U.S. entities.
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to stay up,” Trump explained. “Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars—maybe trillions.”
The proposed executive action is expected to buy time for negotiations, marking a significant shift in the uncertain future of TikTok in the United States.
