Biden Punts on TikTok Ban, But Trump Already Has a Plan to Guarantee Access

President Joe Biden will not enforce a ban on social media platform TikTok slated to enter into effect on Sunday, thereby leaving the issue for President-elect Donald Trump to deal with.

Biden signed a law last year requiring ByteDance, the technology firm based in China which owns Tiktok, to sell the company by Jan. 19.

But an unnamed U.S. official told the Associated Press that Biden will not enforce the new statute, which will become binding only one day before he leaves office.

Florida Republican Rep. Mike Waltz, who was nominated by Trump to serve as his national security advisor, revealed to Fox News that the incoming commander-in-chief intends to guarantee access to the app while protecting user data from security concerns.

“TikTok itself is a fantastic platform,” Waltz said.

“I wish I could have it on my phone. The algorithm is amazing,” he added.

Waltz then promised: “We’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data. And that’s the deal that will be in front of us.”

The Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the law which requires the sale of TikTok.

The decision could impact the next move from Trump with respect to the platform.

“If the Supreme Court comes out with a ruling, you know, in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear,” Waltz continued. “Number one, TikTok is a great platform that many Americans use, and was great for his campaign in getting his message out.

“But, number two, he is going to protect their data.”

That all being said, it’s worth noting that Trump has something of a mixed record on how he feels about TikTok.

In the summer of 2020, months before he would leave office at the conclusion of his first term, Trump issued an executive order banning transactions with ByteDance in the United States.

“TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories,” the order said.

It continued: “This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.”

The order established a 45-day deadline for TikTok to be sold to an American company.

Days later, another executive order from Trump directed ByteDance to sell the platform within 90 days and delete American user data.

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