Trump’s executive order means TikTok has until September 20 to sell the company to an American company or Trump will ban them. Though Trump seems to be confused about the date, saying TikTok has until the 15th, while his executive order clearly gives the company until the 20th. A follow-up order threw even more uncertainty into the mix. There’s a chance he never really knew.
A few companies were interested in buying it, from Microsoft to Walmart. However, China threw a wrench in those plans. They won’t let ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, sell off any technologies that make use of data analysis. Data collection with analytics and AI is what makes TikTok successful. It’s what makes it valuable to companies in the United States. But that data collection is exactly why China doesn’t want to let it go. It’s also the reason Trump gives for wanting TikTok to sell to a U.S. company, though his actual motivation could be more superficial. TikTok users have organized to make Trump look foolish before; he may be acting out of spite.
Regardless of the reasoning behind his executive order. TikTok has a week left to find a buyer. That’s not enough time. Then again, the 45 days Trump gave them initially wasn’t enough time either. Considering he doesn’t even remember the deadline that his own executive order created, Trump may not have given it much thought. That won’t make a difference for TikTok, who’s torn between two countries.
Deadline Unclear
Trump’s initial executive order stated that ByteDance had 45 days to sell TikTok to a U.S. buyer. However, when reporters quested Trump about TikTok on Friday, he stated that TikTok had until the 15th. This may have been nothing more than some confusion on his part, but it was the second time he had said the 15th. When he had initially threatened TikTok with an unprecedented forced sale, Trump specifically picked September 15th. Perhaps playing on the safe side, Microsoft employees have targeted the 15th to complete negotiations as well.
Even without his flub, an addendum to his initial order seemingly gave TikTok a slightly more realistic deadline, 90 days. On August 14th, Trump’s new order gave ByteDance a deadline of “no later than 90 days.” This would be November 12th. This seemed like an extension, likely due to the fact that transferring ownership of a company, even without international pressure, isn’t something anyone can do quickly. 45 days wasn’t enough. 90 days might not even be enough. TikTok and its employees are each separately suing the Trump administration for pursuing a deadline that made due process impossible and could cost every U.S. TikTok employee their job.
Where’s This Going?
Trump’s real reasoning for unfair deadlines is clear: the election. TikTok is a place with many memes that have been critical of Trump, due to its younger userbase. Furthermore, the younger userbase could use the platform to organize rallies, protests, or, perhaps most frightening of all: voting. Yes, Trump is likely worried that the under 25 crowd could vote in droves due to messaging on TikTok. With younger voters skewing liberal, this could hurt Trump’s chances for reelection.
Plus a few TikTok celebrities are really mean to Trump, and he doesn’t like that either.
ByteDance was already in negotiations with Microsoft to sell off TikTok before Trump’s executive order. This was industry knowledge, and quite public. Why bother rushing a sale along? Why ensure that the company is potentially shut down before November? Is something special happening in November?
Trump’s trying to cripple a social network that could work against him by energizing a youthful voter base. Could there be security concerns? Of course. TikTok is in close with China, and likely provides the government with data. But this wasn’t a pressing matter until Trump realized it could work against him in the fall.
TikTok’s Dilemma
TikTok is still between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, China would rather give up the entire U.S. market than lose TikTok. That’s why they passed a new law after Trump’s executive order to essentially block the sale. On the other hand, Trump’s desperate to win reelection, and knows there are a few lawsuits that he’d have to answer for if he’s no longer the president. Winning this election could be the difference between dying in prison or spending his final years anywhere else. Trump’s willing to play dirty to make sure he doesn’t die behind bars.
TikTok’s stuck in the middle, but they may only have to wait a few months. What’s worse? Fines and banning in your home country of China, or taking a small break from the U.S. market until a sale or new president could come in? That’s the decision TikTok’s trying to make, and either way, they lose.
Sources:
- Whitney Kimball, Gizmodo
- Microsoft
- Catherine Shu, TechCrunch