The future of is all to be written TikTok in the United States. The Supreme Court confirmed the ban imposed on the Chinese platform due to possible risks to national security, effectively putting the Bytedance property at a crossroads: the sale to an American entity or the cessation of its operations in the USA. Outgoing President Joe Biden has made it known that he is leaving the ball to his heir, Donald Trumpwho has quite clear ideas about what to do, that is save TikTok. But why did the tycoon adopt this strategy, after having been one of the main opponents of the creature made in China?
Let’s go step by step. Yesterday Trump announced in an interview with NBC News that he will “most likely” grant TikTok one 90 day extension to avoid the ban in the United States. The Donald remarked that he has not yet made a final decision, but is considering an extension for the platform’s parent company, ByteDance: “I think that would, certainly, be an option that we will consider. The 90 day extension is something that will most likely be done, because it is appropriate. We need to look at it carefully. It’s a very important situation.” Trump added: “If I decide to do it, I will probably announce it on Monday.”
A particular choice, considering that Trump himself had signed an executive order in 2020 to outlaw TikTok, before encountering opposition from the judges. The potential risks of espionage and violation of privacy to Beijing’s advantage are targeted. Then came the about facewith the no to the ban in the United States already announced in recent weeks, complete with a request to the Supreme Court to suspend the ban.
Today the social media in the USA was closed and users found a message in which the platform informs them that “fortunately” the new president is looking for a solution to the problem.
We are not talking about a secondary dossier. There are approximately 170 million Americans who use TikTok every month, just as there are millions of content creators – some with tens of millions of followers – active on the platform and who could suddenly find themselves without an important source of income. Having archived the hostility towards Chinese society, Trump also signed up and can boast over 14 million followers. It is no coincidence that according to political communication experts, TikTok itself would have recited a leading role in the super presidential victory against Kamala Harris. But this is not the only motivation behind The Donald’s plan.
Trump, who also spoke about the dossier in his last telephone contact with Chinese President Xi Jinping, may have adopted this strategy to avoid creating an incident with Beijing. Let’s be clear: relations between the two countries remain tense, there is great distrust. Having also received important financing by the owners of the platform – underlined by the political scientist Ian Bremmer at Corriere – the president-elect could choose the most convenient path, even if only to avoid having to open a front of diplomatic tension in an already complicated phase at an international level. Immediately after taking office, the Republican will have to deal with two rather delicate crises: the Middle East and Ukraine. While recognizing a certain importance to the issue, Trump cannot afford any more trouble.
Confirming this, the rumors about the intention of the new leader of the White House to go to visit China after his inauguration: “His advisors explained that no decision had been made regarding his return visit. One of the people familiar with the discussions said Trump has expressed interest in traveling to China in his first 100 days in office. Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
After all, the excuse to “save” TikTok is already ready: no one has ever managed to demonstrate that the data collected is managed directly by the Chinese parent company and therefore TikTok does not represent a real threat to security. The path therefore seems clear. And the announcement of the presence at the Inauguration Day of is certainly not surprising Shou Zi ChewCEO of TikTok already spotted on more than one occasion in the Mar-a-Lago residence.
TheVermilion.com is also on Whatsapp. Simply click here to subscribe to the channel and always be updated (free)