By Alimat Aliyeva

US President-elect Donald Trump is considering issuing a decree to prevent the potential ban of the TikTok social network, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, in the United States.

The publication states that Trump is exploring the possibility of signing an executive order after taking office on January 20. This order would "suspend the law for 60-90 days," during which ByteDance would be required to either sell TikTok or cease operations in the U.S. He hopes this will provide time to "negotiate a sale deal or find an alternative solution."

The newspaper highlights that Trump's proposed move is "questionable" because, under current law, the social network must either be sold or shut down in the U.S. by January 19. Furthermore, analysts interviewed by The Washington Post argue that a presidential decree may not have enough power to fully overturn the law, which has been supported by both chambers of Congress.

Earlier, TikTok's management petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to block the law, which could lead to the network's ban in the country. In December 2024, Trump also called for the suspension of the law's provisions. American media have noted that the Supreme Court may eventually uphold the ban, though no final decision has been made. The current president, Joe Biden, signed the law with relevant provisions passed by Congress in 2024.

The platform is required to either be sold or blocked by January 19, the day before Trump’s inauguration. The administration of TikTok and ByteDance argue that such a move would infringe on the rights of 170 million TikTok users in the U.S. to freedom of speech.

Trump has previously expressed his "warm feelings" toward the platform, as the votes of its young American users were seen as instrumental in his victory in the November 2024 presidential election.

An interesting aspect of this situation is the ongoing debate over the intersection of national security concerns and individual freedoms. The Trump administration’s stance on TikTok, particularly regarding its potential threat as a Chinese-owned entity, underscores the broader geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China. At the same time, the arguments for freedom of speech and the role of social media platforms in political discourse add complexity to the issue. The resolution of this case could have far-reaching implications not only for TikTok but for the regulation of foreign-owned technology companies operating in the U.S.