Joe Biden Not Enforcing TikTok Ban, Reportedly Passing Buck In Final Day As Prez
What's all this fuss about a "TikTok ban"? Is it fake news, or is this culture-defining ban really set to happen? And how is Joe Biden getting involved in his final days as prez?
What's Going on with TikTok?! And How's Biden Passing the Buck?
President Joe Biden delivers a farewell address to the nation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The TikTok ban, set to trigger on Sunday, comes on the eve of Inauguration Day, when Donald Trump jumps back into the president's seat to put the pedal to the metal on America First.
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According to the AP on Thursday, Joe Biden — who is expected to still be president on Sunday (Jan. 19) — will reportedly step aside and opt not to enforce the ban on TikTok. This is a major twist in the testy conversation stressing out American teens everywhere.
Approximately 170 million users in the U.S. have downloaded TikTok.
One last time, Biden is passing the buck. He'll leave the decision up to Donald Trump (No. 45 and 47) or the Supreme Court.
The U.S. House passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, setting the app's ban over national security in motion. Biden signed off on the Act in April 2024, and TikTok was on the clock to find a new buyer.
It's been a contentious topic of discussion in recent weeks, approaching its peak on Sunday.
Or not.
TikTok Ban Has Americans Seemingly Split
On the one hand, your favorite relative will probably lose their No. 1 social media app.
The app ban comes as sad news for TikTok creators and fanatics.
As for why the ban makes sense, a Chinese company owns TikTok, and funneling American data to the CCP surely sounds like a critical security risk. In the interest of national security, the TikTok ban makes sense.
President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
ByteDance — the Chinese company that owns TikTok — was expected to sell its app to an American buyer in order to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. beyond Jan. 19.
ByteDance did not bite. The company faces billions in fines if it does not sell or shut off operations by Sunday.
The Supreme Court Can Jump In
President Biden's neglect does not mean the ban still can't go into effect on Sunday. The Supreme Court can enforce the ruling, keeping it off Trump's plate come Monday's inauguration.
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Either way, Trump is furiously tracking any response from the Supreme Court and ByteDance since he's reportedly interested in saving the app himself.
Trump thinks he can strike a historically beautiful deal to keep TikTok alive (to the relief of 170 million Americans).
As for Biden, he goes out on a whimper in his final week as president.
His farewell address before the nation on Wednesday failed to convince Americans of his ‘accomplishments.'
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