President Trump has issued an executive order throwing a lifeline to TikTok, giving it a 75-day reprieve, not the original 90 days he originally proposed.
Trump told NBC News that he would consider a 90-day extension of the ban that the United States Supreme Court upheld just days before the January 19 ban went into effect.
“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. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said the day before the ban.
In one of his first executive orders, Trump outlined his plan for a 75-day reprieve.
I have the unique constitutional responsibility for the national security of the United States, the conduct of foreign policy, and other vital executive functions. To fulfill those responsibilities, I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans. My Administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date.
The unfortunate timing of section 2(a) of the Act — one day before I took office as the 47th President of the United States — interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Act’s prohibitions before they take effect. This timing also interferes with my ability to negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform while addressing national security concerns. Accordingly, I am instructing the Attorney General not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.
Trump goes on to say that the Attorney General will issue letters to providers guaranteeing they will not incur any liability for helping TikTok remain operational in the US.
I further order the Attorney General to issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the issuance of this Executive Order.
It’s unclear if TikTok can be saved. Although its stance appears to be softening, China has historically been bitterly opposed to any deal that would see ByteDance divest TikTok’s US operations. In contrast, Trump is pushing for at least a joint, 50-50 ownership of TikTok.
from WebProNews https://ift.tt/9c5DLb1
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