Trump Will Not Budge on TikTok Sale Deadline

September 11, 2020

President Trump has announced that he will not be extending the deadline for the sale of TikTok to an American company. 

The United States government has stated that they will officially not be extending the deadline of September 20th. This decision has caused both panic and anger for TikTok users and influencers on social media. It also creates urgency for companies to make negotiations faster in order to stop the app from being banned in the U.S. 

If they ban @TikTok_us, I’ll stop paying taxes.

— yup (@shumythemoney) September 11, 2020

As a result of this announcement, social media users are already discovering and sharing a hack to keep the app even if it were to be “banned.” As long as users have the app deleted and updated to its latest version prior to it being banned, Youtubers are trying to expose tricks and a hack for keeping the platform. 

Before Trump boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, he said: “We’ll see what happens. It’ll either be closed up or they’ll sell it.” 

BREAKING REPORT: Trump say's There'll be NO EXTENSION of the TikTok deadline…

"We'll either close up TikTok in this country for security reasons or it'll be sold…

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 11, 2020

Due to the sale’s complexity, this deadline is a bit rushed for companies to purchase it. Some analysts previously predicted that the deadline would most likely be extended in order for a successful transaction to occur. However, Trump’s administration has made it clear that the consequences of keeping it any longer outweigh the app’s benefits. 

In an executive order shared in August, Trump stated that ByteDance, the company that currently owns TikTok, may cause damage that would impact “the national security of the United States.” 

The President originally announced that he was going to ban the app back in July of this year. Since then, it has been amongst his main priorities for the country before the November election. This has caused some anger and backlash due to the importance of keeping the current global pandemic under control seemingly taking a back-burner. 

WATCH: 'I am not extending deadlines,' says President Trump on a sale of TikTok's U.S. assets https://t.co/wqWyLAppvC pic.twitter.com/o92rJvnYQO

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) September 11, 2020

TikTok has sued the Trump administration for what it said was a “heavily politicized” executive order.

In a post announcing the case, TikTok said: “We far prefer constructive dialogue over litigation. But with the Executive Order threatening to bring a ban on our US operations — eliminating the creation of 10,000 American jobs and irreparably harming the millions of Americans who turn to this app for entertainment, connection, and legitimate livelihoods that are vital especially during the pandemic — we simply have no choice.”

Microsoft is a potential buyer for the platform. However, it is unclear whether or not the two companies will be able to reach a deal by this closely approaching deadline. 

TikTok continues to grow in popularity and the idea of it going away is difficult for a lot of influencers and users. Many have taken to other apps such as Twitter to complain and express their hope for it to remain in The United States. 

During the first few months of this year, the app was downloaded 315 million times. It currently has over 2 billion downloads around the world. Many have already referenced it as a “cultural phenomenon.” 

The app being a “threat” to national security has caused major debate online. However, cybersecurity experts said its risk is “highly theoretical.” Also, they confirmed, according to CNN, that there is “no evidence to suggest that the app’s user data has been compromised by Chinese intelligence.”

According to CNBC, Microsoft and Walmart have officially teamed up for a potential deal. However, a third company, Oracle, has also made bids on the application. 

In a recent emailed statement by a TikTok spokesperson, it stated that the app and company is “committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform for many years to come.”

Hey @tiktok_us should we be worried? If Tiktok gets banned, will all of our content disappear?!? Thank you! @TikTokSupport #savetiktok #TikTok

— Rob Flaska (The Colony NFT ) (@RobFlaska) September 11, 2020

It seems as though yet another social media platform has been political. 

The deadline, however, may be able to be pushed back by the courts. This decision will only be able to be made after they consider ByteDance’s arguments that the executive orders regarding TikTok are illegal. 

Will you miss TikTok if it gets banned? 

The popular social media platform seems to have an unpredictable future when it comes to its future status in The United States. A deadline extension may be the only way for it to continue its existence.