Posted in: Opinion, streaming, TV, TV, YouTube | Tagged: donald trump, joseph biden, opinion, TikTok

TikTok Hit with Second Worst News of 2024: Donald Trump Joins App

TikTok didn't think 2024 could get any worse. And then, ex-reality show host, multi-impeached POTUS & convicted felon Donald Trump joined.

Whatever you think about the decision, you can add putting TikTok owner ByteDance on the clock when it comes to divesting from the popular social media service or facing being banned in the U.S. to the list of things that ex-reality show host, multi-impeached ex-POTUS, and convicted felon Donald Trump attempted to do that President Joseph Biden was actually able to make happen. After Trump's 2020 executive order to shutter the app failed in federal court, President Biden signed a bill into law in April 2024 that put ByteDance on notice (though the company is planning an appeal). Well, guess who just joined TikTok – after it was ordered to divest or face a national ban over securities concerns involving the Chinese government? That's right – Trump is now a proud member. For those of you looking to counter that President Biden is also on there, it's important to note that the POTUS joined back in February – before any legislation made it to his desk for a signature.

In one of the rare instances of things actually moving quickly in Washington, D.C., it took less than a week back in April for a muchly-needed foreign aid bill to move from the U.S. Senate to the House of Representatives and to President Biden's desk for a signature. Along with $95B in aid to Ukraine, Israel & Gaza, and Taiwan & the Indo-Pacific, the bill also put ByteDance on the clock – it has 9 months (possibly 12, at the POTUS's discretion) to divest from the company or see the social media service banned in the U.S. over security concerns.

"This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail. The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired," shared the company in a tweet/x posted shortly after news of President Biden signing the bill into law was announced.

Here's a look at what TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew had to say on the matter:

@tiktoknewsroomResponse to TikTok Ban Bill♬ original sound – TikTok Newsroom

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