As the increasingly popular Chinese-owned video-sharing social media app TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, the company is actively looking for a way to stay in business.
President Donald Trump’s executive order of August 6th said it would take effect in 45 days. NPR reports that TikTok may sue the Trump administration as soon as Tuesday.
The suit will argue that the ban is unconstitutional, as it did not offer a chance to mount a response, and that justification for the order is baseless.
At issue are security concerns with the Chinese government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has referred to TikTok and other Chinese apps as “Trojan horses.”
NPR’s report quotes a source from TikTok who says the order “is based on pure speculation and conjecture [with] no findings of fact [and] just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around.”
TikTok itself is run out of Los Angeles, with former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as CEO. He has described his operation as “not really a Chinese company” citing “a lot of politics going on” for the continued scrutiny.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said “the Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats to critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and our economic and national security.”
As an additional lifesaving measure, The Wall Street Journal has reported that TikTok may be looking for a possible “combination” with Twitter.
While unconfirmed, Twitter is the second major American tech company said to be interested in some sort of alliance with TikTok. Earlier in the month Microsoft was reportedly in talks with TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance about an acquisition. President Trump’s executive order would block a potential deal between the two companies.
A deal with Twitter would be notable, as it would mean TikTok finding cover with one of President Trump’s favorite methods of communication. While Twitter has recently begun deleting or flagging some of his tweets if they contain copyright infringements or fact errors about Covid-19, use of the app to circumvent traditional media has been omnipresent in Trump’s political career since his campaign began, and is more strategic than some realize.
TikTok, on the other hand, has been a visibly roots-up thorn in President Trump’s side, catapulting Trump-mocking comic Sarah Cooper to widespread celebrity, and making public a rift between White House aide Kellyanne Conway and her anti-Trump teen daughter Claudia. There were also reports that mobilized K-pop fans on the app were responsible for Trump’s reelection campaign overestimating attendance interest at the Tulsa rally in June.
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— Did Billionaire Tobacco Heiress Doris Duke Get Away With Murder?
— The Porn Industry’s Biggest Scandal—And Mystery
— After a Year in Hiding, Ghislaine Maxwell Finally Faces Justice
— Inside the Other Harry and Meghan Book by Longtime Royal Irritant Lady Colin Campbell
— From Tyga to Charli D’Amelio, TikTok Stars Are Having a Blast (at Home)
— The 21 Best Books for Tolerating 2020 (So Far)
— From the Archive: The Mystery of Doris Duke’s Final Years
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a story.