TikTok faces uncertainty as Trump's potential presidency and FCC nominee present conflicting stances on the app's US ban.

Photo Credit: Brendan Carr by Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0

While TikTok hopes Trump's potential return to presidency might prevent their impending US ban, the situation remains complex. The platform currently must secure a US-based owner by January 19 to continue operations.

Trump's stance has evolved from initially supporting a ban to potentially opposing it, largely due to his adversarial relationship with Meta. However, his FCC nominee, Brendan Carr, strongly advocates for either a complete ban or severing TikTok's ties to Beijing.

Matt Gaetz, Trump's attorney general pick, has shown mixed signals. Despite previously voting against a ban in the House, he now supports the idea, though he criticizes the current legislation as overly broad and rushed.

TikTok and ByteDance have challenged the ban's constitutionality, filing lawsuits against the US government. They strongly dispute claims about national security risks and argue that Congress hasn't provided substantial evidence supporting these concerns.

Should Trump choose to prevent the ban, he could:

• Push Congress to repeal the law
• Decline to enforce the ban
• Help facilitate TikTok's acquisition by a US buyer

The final outcome remains uncertain, as Trump's administration would need to balance various political, security, and economic considerations in determining TikTok's fate in the United States.

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