Biden administration looks for ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S.

[usonian]

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2025, 12:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: NBC News

President Joe Biden’s administration is considering ways to keep TikTok available in the United States if a ban that’s scheduled to go into effect Sunday proceeds, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official said, adding that officials are “exploring options” for how to implement the law so TikTok does not go dark Sunday.

snip

Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, told Fox News on Wednesday that Trump is ready to intervene to preserve access to the Chinese-owned video app in the American marketplace.

snip

The moves represent parallel efforts by the rival presidents to execute an end-run around Congress and the Supreme Court, which is teed up to rule on the ban at any time.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-administration-keep-tiktok-available-us-rcna187902

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EDITED COMMENTS: Jan 18, 2025

The ban was approved by USSC on Friday. A couple of points to add here.

1. See the Whitehouse statement of Jan 17.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219916144

Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday.

And as to why Biden signed this: (CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/20/tech/house-passes-legislation-that-could-ban-tiktok-in-the-us-amid-high-stakes-vote-on-foreign-aid/index.html

House passes legislation that could ban TikTok in the US amid high-stakes vote on foreign aid

A potential US ban against TikTok took a major step toward becoming reality on Saturday as House lawmakers approved a hot-button bill targeting the app as part of a wide-ranging aid package for Israel and Ukraine.

snip

By attaching the TikTok bill to funding for Ukrainian military equipment and Israeli missile defense, House Republicans put the pressure on Senate lawmakers to consider the whole package in a single up-or-down vote.

snip

“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” TikTok said in a post on X on Wednesday.

[yaesu]

1. Why bother, just buy a clock that goes tick tock. Nt

[usonian]

2. It's quite popular, and employs a lot of US people.

The "solution" seems to be that a billionaire buy it. Nothing could possibly go wrong. (satire)

[LeftInTX]

3. Like this kid? Her parents are pimping her out!

https://www.tiktok.com/@avamajury16/video/7405364105676115230?lang=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@avamajury16/video/7405575893713702175?lang=en

[usonian]

8. I don't know. I don't use TikTok. Just sharing the news.

Don't assault the reporter.

WAIT. That's MAGA's job.

[pimpbot]

6. Do you pay attention to the news?

Chinese have hacked much of our telecom infrastructure, high level government officials, and who knows what else. There is a cold cyber war running and the general public isn't paying attention. All they care about are their lolz vidz and endless scrolling on time suck social media.

None of the social media empires are great, but this one is foreign owned by a nation state who has shown aggressive action against our country. The tiktok app could easily be used to do harm to our country if they so wish. Even something simple like faking a "banking emergency" that goes viral or something which causes chaos in our financial marketplace.

[usonian]

10. Do you pay attention to my posts?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219902965
Shut down social media? The Chinese have an answer: take down the internet and more.

Now as to how this and TikTok are evil.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219903183
Lawsuit: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to quietly track driving behavior
Everyone who can is tracking and spying on you.,
Surveillance Capitalism

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219881478
Online Behavioral Ads Fuel the Surveillance Industry--Here's How (EFF)

Foreign Ownership.
Rupert Murdoch, Agent of Vladimir Putin.
He's a capitalist God.

Everyone who can tracks you and sells the data to unknown entities, including police, FBI, insurance companies, and {UNKNOWN}

The Chinese already have boatloads of data.

The solution is to stop the harvesting of personal data.
Everyone, Allstate included.

[Callie1979]

4. Now Biden has punted on this. TikTok is an enemy agent. People are idiots.

Biden is not going to enforce the ban thats supposed to take effect the 19th. Way to go, Joe. NOT.

"President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump"

.https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968

[Igel]

12. It's a good thing there isn't some kind of oath or commitment

to faithfully execute the laws.

Oh--wait--perhaps that's "execute the laws" like "execute the murderers"?

No, there's this funny thing where we have rule of laws, but only those that some people want to enforce. Making exceptions proves they rule! (To anaphase Ben Franklin--divide and polarize, so to speak).

[Callie1979]

13. Doesnt matter if its his last day; its still a law to be enforced!

[MichMan]

5. Why didn't he veto it then?

[usonian]

11. Somewhere in my reading, I believe that it was part of a bigger bill that he chose not to veto.

Ban data collection.

FB, Twitter, Google, Allstate.

Sleepy E.U. is way ahead of this matter, and just scratch the surface.

[Luciferous]

7. What's the point of a ban if you

don't enforce it?

[Jose Garcia]

9. Why did he sign the bill into law if he didn't want it implemented?

[Josiesdad]

14. What Trump or Biden says now is really meaningless

As of a couple of days from now, TicTok can no longer make or enforce contracts.

So, yes, if there is a presidential proclaimation then perhaps that will prevent other companies from shutting their lights off (immediately). But, if one of their advertizers refuses to pay them or if an ISP decides to insert their own ads into the TicTok web content they won't be able to go to court to protect their IP rights or enforce their contracts. Further, if a disgruntled TicTok user decides to sue an ISP for something said or seen on TicTok the ISP won't be able to hide behind the EULA... the company on the other side of the EULA is now an outlaw organization.

This is a legal quagmire.

[usonian]

15. Kicking this thread for update.

1. White House statement. Passing the buck on this.
2. Explainer why Biden signed the bill. The TikTok bill was a rider on much larger legislation.