At his victory rally a day before his inauguration as US president, Donald Trump announced his plan to save TikTok from the ban. Trump’s plan envisages the US government becoming a 50 percent partner in TikTok. However, this initiative raises serious debates in terms of legal compliance and freedom of expression.
Trump’s proposal aims to ensure TikTok operates in compliance with existing bans. But it is unclear whether the plan offers enough legal safeguards for service providers such as Apple, Google and Oracle to avoid heavy fines. Despite this, some service providers appear to have allowed TikTok back into service based on Trump’s promises. As a matter of fact, the application started working again on Sunday, the first day of the ban.
Trump’s TikTok plan includes the US government owning a 50 percent stake in the platform. However, this opens the door to constitutional problems regarding freedom of expression. Because a state’s regulation of content can be considered a constitutionally prohibited government action.
Trump argued that TikTok should establish a partnership with the US government, saying, “There will be many bidders and the US will make a joint venture. We don’t put money in, we just give approval. “Without this, TikTok has no value,” he said.
While the details of this plan remain unclear, Trump’s statements also include the economic dimensions of the attempt to save TikTok. Trump emphasized that TikTok has no value without US approval and said, “Given approval, TikTok can reach a trillion dollar value. “In this case, the USA should be a 50 percent partner,” he said.
Donald Trump drew attention to TikTok’s impact on the election campaign
Trump also emphasized TikTok’s positive effects on his election campaign. Stating that he gained great support among young voters, Trump said that a 21-year-old team member nicknamed “TikTok Jack” was effective in this success. Stating that winning the votes of young voters is an unusual success for Republicans, he said, “We won among young voters by 36 points. “This happened because of TikTok,” he said.
On the other hand, Trump, who rejected the allegations that TikTok is connected to the Chinese government, stated that saving the platform is an economic necessity: “Many jobs are at risk. “We don’t want to give our business to China or anyone else.”
These revelations have reignited both legal and political debate as Trump attempts to shape his strategy on TikTok. TikTok’s future seems to be shaped by the feasibility of this plan and its compliance with US laws.