US TikTok ban looms as Trump seeks last-ditch solution
WASHINGTON, United States — TikTok has pledged to "go dark" in the United States on Sunday, threatening access for 170 million app users without 11th-hour guarantees from the government, as President-elect Donald Trump says he is considering a reprieve -- after he takes office.
After months of legal tussles, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that would ban the popular video-sharing platform in the name of national security, unless its Chinese owners reach a deal to sell it to non-Chinese buyers by Sunday.
Only months after overwhelmingly backing the law, lawmakers and officials were now fretting about the ban, with all eyes on whether Trump can swoop in and find a way to save the app.
From teenage dancers to grandmothers sharing cooking tips, TikTok has been embraced for its ability to transform ordinary users into global celebrities when a video goes viral.
It also has a fan in Trump, who has credited the app with connecting him to younger voters, contributing to his election victory in November.
After discussing TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he could activate a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he reclaims the Oval Office.
"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," he said, ahead of Monday's inauguration.
"If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."
The law allows a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress toward a viable deal, but TikTok owner ByteDance has flatly refused any sale.
TikTok said late Friday its US services would "go dark" unless the government "immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement" of the law calling for the platform's ban.
The administration of outgoing President Joe Biden has said it will leave the matter to Trump and White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre qualified TikTok's latest statements as a "stunt."
After the court defeat, TikTok CEO Shou Chew appealed to Trump, thanking him for his "commitment to work with us to find a solution."
Trump "truly