The rest of social media is having a field day on Sunday (January 19), as reactions poured in upon TikTok's ban in the United States. For those unaware, the popular app – owned by Chinese company ByteDance – faced this ban due to accusations that they gave user information and data to their country's government, and could only sidestep these national security concerns for the U.S. if it found a buyer in the States. It hasn't so far, so it seems like the process for a potential return or reversal will be more difficult now. Amid all the mournful, angered, or amused reactions to this ban, one stands out above the rest: U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's, who will hold his inauguration tomorrow (Monday, January 20).
"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at," Trump told NBC News' "Meet The Press" moderator Kristen Welker during an interview, speaking on the possibility of delaying the TikTok ban in order to seek a U.S. buyer as one of the first acts of his second term in the highest executive office of the nation. "The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation. If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday."
Social Media Reacts To TikTok Ban
"On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew stated in a video recently. “This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform – one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process. More to come."
More Reactions
Amid a lot of other reactions to the TikTok ban, it seems like people can't choose between expressing outrage at this censorship, lamenting the loss of a platform that united so many people, or just laughing at all the chaos via other social platforms.
