Trumps tells reporters that he’ll ban TikTok in the US via an executive order. TikTok parent company ByteDance will reportedly try to get around that by divesting its US operations with the help of Microsoft.
(Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) President Donald Trump on Friday said the US will ban popular video-sharing app TikTok. „As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,“ Trump said during a Q&A with reporters aboard Air Force One, according to White House pool reporter David Cloud of the LA Times. The president said he has the authority to do so via an executive order. As Reuters reports, TikTok parent company ByteDance might try to get around the ban by divesting its US operations. Microsoft would then „take over TikTok in the United States“ and „be in charge of protecting all of TikTok’s US user data,“ Reuters says. Microsoft has not commented publicly on that report. On Air Force One, Trump said he’s not in favor of such a deal. SEE ALSO: Facebook Wanted to Buy Google? Zuckerberg Says It Was a Joke In response, Vanessa Pappas, TikTok’s US general manager, said in a video message that „we’re not planning on going anywhere.“ She made a point of highlighting the company’s 1,500 US-based workers and „the additional 10,000 jobs that we’re bringing into this country over the next three years,“ plus the recently announced $200 million creator fund. „We appreciate the support, we’re here for the long run,“ Pappas said. „Continue to share your voice here and let’s stand for TikTok.
