Trump mulls executive order to keep TikTok afloat amid legal ban

Investing.com — President-elect Donald Trump is contemplating an executive order to permit TikTok to continue operations in the United States, despite a looming legal ban, according to a report by the New York Times (NYSE:). The potential executive order, which was first reported by The Washington Post, is being discussed as TikTok approaches a deadline on Sunday to find a new owner or face a ban in the United States. The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been viewed as a national security risk by Republicans for several years, a concern shared by both parties in Congress.

If the Supreme Court affirms the law that mandates the sale of the app to a non-Chinese company, an executive order from Mr. Trump might be the only route for TikTok to continue its operations in the United States in the near term. The law demands that app store operators such as Apple (NASDAQ:) and Google (NASDAQ:), as well as cloud computing providers, cease distributing TikTok in the United States.

An executive order could instruct the government to either refrain from enforcing the law or to postpone enforcement to finalize a deal. This is a tactic that previous presidents have employed to contest laws. However, it remains uncertain whether an executive order will withstand legal challenges or convince app stores and cloud computing firms to take actions that could subject them to significant penalties.

While there is a possibility that the app will continue to function if it has already been downloaded, the law also impacts internet hosting companies like Oracle (NYSE:) and other cloud computing providers. It is uncertain how this might affect the app’s video load times and functionality.

An individual close to Mr. Trump’s team disclosed that his allies had preliminary talks about purchasing TikTok, but did not provide further details. President Biden, whose term concludes on Monday, one day after the ban is set to commence, is also facing pressure to devise a solution to preserve the app.

The New York Times reported late Wednesday that TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, is anticipated to attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Monday and has been offered a seat on the dais.

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