Donald Trump Makes a Major Decision About TikTok’s Future

The newly elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on January 19 that TikTok will be allowed to continue operating in the country for a while longer. However, he also stated that he wants U.S. companies to hold 50% of the platform, which is currently owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Trump’s goal is to ensure that TikTok stays “in good hands.”

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump urged U.S. companies not to let TikTok “remain in the dark.”

Our response to the Supreme Court decision:https://t.co/xSkvkOgpuV

— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 17, 2025

TikTok Shuts Down in the U.S.

On January 18, TikTok ceased functioning in the United States after the Supreme Court upheld a law requiring the platform to separate from its parent company, ByteDance, or face being shut down.

The law was set to take effect at 12:01 AM on January 19, but TikTok chose to stop its service in the U.S. about an hour and a half before the deadline.

According to the administration of Joe Biden, TikTok made the move on its own. After the Supreme Court ruling, the White House stated that the new administration under Trump would be responsible for enforcing the law.

Trump’s Plan to Save TikTok

Trump said his executive order would extend TikTok’s deadline to allow time for an agreement that ensures national security. He also made it clear that no companies would face liability for helping prevent TikTok’s shutdown before he took office.

Trump added that Americans deserve to witness his “exciting” inauguration, and for that to happen, TikTok needs to stay online.

How Can TikTok Survive?

Trump believes that if the United States gets 50% ownership in a new joint venture, TikTok can continue to operate without issues. He argued that without U.S. approval, TikTok wouldn’t have a future.

With U.S. involvement, Trump is confident that TikTok could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, if not more. “My idea is to create a joint venture between the current owners of TikTok and new partners, in which the U.S. holds 50% of the company,” he concluded.