White House says TikTok's threat to go dark on Sunday is a 'stunt'
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- TikTok said it would "go dark" for American users on January 19 unless Biden intervened.
- A White House spokesperson called TikTok's statement a "stunt."
- The Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok's US operations to be sold by Sunday or face a ban.
TikTokΒ said Friday it would be forced to go dark on Sunday, the day a ban on the platform is set to take effect, unless the Biden administration intervenes.
On Saturday, the Biden administration called TikTok's statement a "stunt."
"It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told Reuters. "We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration. So TikTok and other companies should take up concerns with them."
TikTok said on Friday that it would be forced to turn off its app unless the Biden administration assured service providers it wouldn't enforce the ban.
"Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19," the statement continued.
The law, which was passed by Congress and signed by Biden last spring, requires ByteDance, its China-based parent company, to sell the app's US operations by January 19 or be banned.
The law specifically bans US app stores, like Apple's and Google's, from carrying or updating the app. Companies that violate the law could face fines of up to $5,000 per user who accesses TikTok.
The Biden administration said this week it does not plan to enforce the ban since it is set to take effect one day before President Joe Biden leaves office and President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.
"President Biden's position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President's desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law," Jean-Pierre said.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, issued a statement on Friday supporting the Supreme Court's decision, adding:Β "The next phase of this effort β implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19 β will be a process that plays out over time."
Trump has said he does not support banning TikTok and will work on finding a solution.
During a phone interview with NBC News' Kristen WelkerΒ on Saturday, Trump said he would "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day extension after Monday. However, he told Welker he hasn't made a final decision on the potential ban yet.
"I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. 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," Trump said.
"If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday," he told Welker.
In a video on Friday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked Trump for his commitment toΒ saving the app.
On Truth Social, Trump said he had spoken with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the phone and said the call was a "very good one" and that they discussed "balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects."
It's unclear what TikTok will look like on users' phones come Sunday if the app goes "dark" and whether the video platform's fate in the US will be permanent.
Some workarounds could bring the app back to life, including brokering a deal to sell it to a US buyer.
Figures from Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank to YouTuber MrBeast have expressed interest in buying the app.
BI's Peter Kafka reported that Bytedance hasn't publicly shown interest in selling TikTok or indicated any progress in a deal with a non-Chinese buyer so far.
There's also the possibility that the Trump administration could issue an executive order reversing the ban under the argument that the move is related to foreign affairs and national security interests.
A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
