
Wait…TikTok Isn’t Banned? What Trump’s Executive Order Means for Platform
By Movieguide® Contributor
After an emotional rollercoaster, TikTok is back, but there may still be repercussions for those who distribute the app.
On President Donald Trump’s first day back in office for his second term, he issued an executive order that instructed the Attorney General to wait 75 additional days before banning the Chinese-owned app.
“I have the unique constitutional responsibility for the national security of the United States, the conduct of foreign policy, and other vital executive functions,” Trump explains in the order. “I am instructing the Attorney General not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
READ MORE: DO AMERICANS SUPPORT THE TIKTOK BAN?
The ban initially went into effect on Jan. 19 as TikTok went dark for many users. However, the app restored service later that day, citing Trump’s plan not to enforce the ban immediately.
But despite Trump’s order, experts note that those who distribute TikTok could still face severe penalties.
Variety reported, “…legal experts say that tech partners who violate the law could still face significant fines — amounting to $5,000 per user, meaning they could socked with as much as $850 billion in penalties (given TikTok’s claim it has 170 million U.S. users).”
Quinnipiac University law professor Wayne Unger explained the matter to USA TODAY.
“The companies, Apple, Google, etc., have to essentially decide — likely, in conjunction with their CEOs, in conjunction with their boards — whether they want to take this risk in violating the law, despite President Trump’s assurances, because his assurances only go so far,” he said.
So much is still up in the air, and companies can decide if they want to continue distributing TikTok and risk being fined or not. The Trump Administration will spend the next 75 days reviewing potential national threats posed by the Chinese-owned app and decide how to move forward.
READ MORE: HOW TIKTOK CHANGED THE WAY WE WATCH TV AND MOVIES