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The TikTok saga in the United States takes an even more uncertain turn as January 19 approaches, the deadline for ByteDance to sell its American operations or face a national ban on the platform. The Supreme Court, expected to rule on the law imposing this sale or ban, remains silent for the moment, amplifying tensions around this highly politicized issue.
At the same time, Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, has suggested that he could sign an executive order to suspend the application of the law for 60 to 90 days. Trump, who initially supported a strict approach to TikTok during his first term, recently praised the app’s impact in mobilizing young voters during his campaign, adding that his final decision will depend on the Supreme Court’s verdict. Note that Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, will participate in Donald Trump’s inauguration after being invited to sit on the official platform alongside Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
The Biden administration, for its part, is exploring options to enforce the law without causing an immediate disruption of service for U.S. users. However, a senior official indicated that Biden is reluctant to extend the deadline unless ByteDance shows significant progress toward a sale, which has not yet been the case.
Uncertainties are also amplified by technological and legal obstacles. Apple, Google and hosting service providers could face billions of euros in fines if they do not block access to TikTok after January 19. At the same time, Beijing firmly opposes a forced sale, which it describes as a violation of international trade rules.
The hypothesis of a takeover of TikTok by X has been circulating for several months and was brought to light this week. Such a takeover would keep the data of American users under control while transforming X into a major player in social networks. For the moment, neither Elon Musk nor ByteDance have reacted to this information.
Other investors, including Kevin O’Leary and Frank McCourt, continue to promote solutions such as a buyout of the American operations.
The current situation represents a major risk for Oraclecloud service provider for TikTok in the United States. This partnership generates significant revenues (estimated at $800 million) and strengthens its competitiveness against AWS and Microsoft Azure. A ban or transfer to another player would put an end to these financial and strategic advantages, weakening its position in the cloud market.