The future of TikTok in the United States is increasingly uncertain after President Joe Biden put down an ultimatum for the Chinese platform as part of the measures signed today, which also include a large package of military and economic aid for the ‘Ukraine and funds for Israel and Taiwan. If the company that owns TikTok, ByteDance, does not find an American buyer within nine months, the Chinese platform will be banned from the States. The rule gives the company a period of time equal to 270 days to sell the application, otherwise it risks being excluded from the store digital and from the services of hosting in the United States. This could, in fact, limit access to the app and its interaction with users. President Biden has set the deadline for the sale as January 19, 2025, but it is expected that he may decide to extend the deadline by another 90 days if negotiations for the sale are underway.
The TikTok reply
Nerves are tense within the walls of TikTok’s headquarters with CEO Shou Zi Chew announcing a legal appeal. In a video released shortly after the American president signed the bill, he declared: «Rest assured: we are not going anywhere. The facts and the Constitution are on our side and we expect to win again.” TikTok is by far one of the most used apps by young people thanks to its ability to capture and maintain attention with its short videos. It boasts over one billion monthly active users and is available in more than 150 countries. Valued at $225 billion, it reached a record $16 billion in revenue in the US alone in 2023. Its popularity has grown steadily since its launch in 2016 as musical.ly, before being acquired by ByteDance in 2017 and renamed TikTok.
