President Donald Trump issued a new executive order regarding TikTok that extends the time its parent company has to sell the US operations of the popular …
President Donald Trump issued a new executive order regarding TikTok that extends the time its parent company has to sell the US operations of the popular short-video app, after a government panel recommended the action. Issued late Friday, the new order gives ByteDance, the Chinese parent,90 days to conclude a deal to divest the US arm. It also orders ByteDance to delete any data obtained from US TikTok users. The new order doubles the amount of time TikTok initially had been given to find a US buyer after an executive order last week raised the prospect the app would be banned next month. The initial order bars «transactions» with ByteDance, a move that could potentially affect Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store, which distribute the software in the US. (A similar order targets WeChat, a messaging app owned by Chinese giant Tencent.) Trump issued the earlier TikTok order under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that allows the president to regulate international commerce after declaring a national emergency. «The spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People’s Republic of China continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,» the initial executive order reads. «At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, TikTok.» Trump’s moves come after weeks of high drama involving TikTok. The president has had TikTok in his sights since early July, when he said he would take action against the company in response to China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that Trump was considering the ban because the app could make US user data accessible to the Chinese government. The administration’s focus then turned to forcing a sale of the app to a US company, and Microsoft entered into discussions with ByteDance to purchase part of the business. (Microsoft declined to comment on the executive order.) TikTok quickly followed up by establishing an information hub to combat misinformation and rumors about its social media platform in real time. TikTok said Monday it will use the hub to «shine a light on the facts and set the record straight.» The company had previously blasted the threatened ban, saying it had tried to engage with the government in good faith for nearly a year. TikTok said, however, that the administration «paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.» ByteDance says it remains committed to keeping a TikTok presence in the US. «TikTok is loved by 100 million Americans because it is a home for entertainment, self-expression, and connection,» a company spokeswoman said after the second executive order. «We’re committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform for many years to come.» TikTok is preparing a lawsuit to challenge the original executive order, according to NPR. The lawsuit will argue that Trump’s action is unconstitutional because it didn’t give TikTok the opportunity to respond, NPR said. TikTok declined to comment on the report. Separately, TikTok employees are raising funds for a possible lawsuit to challenge the order on the grounds it would deprive them of their livelihoods. The employees have signed up prominent internet lawyer Mike Godwin to represent them. Rising concerns about TikTok’s ability to access the personal data of US users come as TikTok sees its popularity explode. The app has gotten a new boost from the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing in people looking to escape the boredom of lockdown. It’s been downloaded more than 2 billion times, according to research firm Sensor Tower, with 623 million downloads during the first half of this year. India had been its largest market, followed by Brazil and the US. The US isn’t alone in worrying about the app. India has already banned TikTok, and Australia is also considering blocking it. Trump cited the India ban in his executive order. In a move that could smooth things over with some lawmakers, TikTok said on July 22 that it plans to hire 10,000 people in the US over the next three years.
