As the clock looks set to pause on TikTok’s demise, one thing remains certain: The United States must not kowtow to the commies and let China retain control of the company or its app.
But if anyone can figure out a way to keep the app alive for American users without jeopardizing US interests, it’s President-elect Donald Trump — and that seems to be his goal.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the bipartisan law that bans TikTok from US-based app stores as of Sunday if China-based owner ByteDance doesn’t divest from the company.
TikTok has said it plans to go dark that day, while ByteDance says it would rather close it than sell.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for a last-minute extension on the deadline and President Biden punted the decision to enforce the ban to Trump, who is reportedly looking for a way to stall until an American buyer can ink a deal.
Trump’s designated national security adviser, Mike Waltz, says the new administration plans to “keep TikTok from going dark,” citing Trump’s power to give ByteDance a 90-day extension “as long as a viable deal is on the table.”
Multiple serious contenders would like to buy, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, billionaire Frank McCourt and businessman Kevin O’Leary.
ByteDance has outright said it would refuse to sell TikTok’s cutting-edge algorithm along with the app — if it even budges on selling the app at all; indeed, Chinese law seems to forbid it.
Fine by us: For all the algorithm’s fabled power to pinpoint users’ beliefs, interests and behaviors, we expect any buyer can develop an adequate replacement.
Indeed, that the algorithm gives TikTok such enormous potential to sway public opinion is a prime reason the company must not remain in Beijing’s hands. (All the data on US users it can provide is another reason.)
China can’t be trusted: Witness its efforts to hack into vital US infrastructure or the spies infiltrating local government offices.
Maybe Trump’s famous negotiating skills can resolve the standoff: He said Monday he’d spoken to President Xi Jinping about the app’s future, and he may be able to grease the wheels to get TikTok sold — with or without the algorithm.
Yet some things can’t be compromised: The TikTok ban was a major bipartisan stand against China’s quest for undue influence in America, as politicians in both parties recognized the clear threat.
A complete retreat would not only leave the Chinese Communist Party’s tentacles firmly embedded in our public discourse, it would tell Beijing it can hold Team Trump in as much contempt as it did the Biden crew.
Trump shouldn’t budge an inch on ByteDance divesting, even if it means TikTok goes dark.
But if he can get TikTok, a platform that brings in billions of dollars for American small businesses, into American hands, it’d be a cheer-worthy win.
