Despite calling for a TikTok ban in 2020, during his first term in office, Trump is reportedly mulling an executive order that would pause the ban for 60 to 90 days to allow time for negotiating a sale of the app, or some other alternative.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) revealed plans to introduce the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, which would give ByteDance an additional 270 days to find a buyer.
“Although a sale is unlikely, TikTok under U.S. ownership would mark a new era for the massively popular app,” Emarketer senior analyst Minda Smiley said. “For starters, it’s unclear if TikTok’s bread and butter—its algorithm—would be part of a sale. Algorithm concerns aside, TikTok would likely operate differently under new owners. Users, creators, and brands could move on from the app if they feel as though it’s not what it used to be.”