Can Trump undo the TikTok ban?

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A federal law signed in April says TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, must be sold to a non-Chinese company by Jan. 19 or face a ban in the U.S.

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While nothing has materially changed regarding both political parties still viewing TikTok as a significant national security risk, some think Trump could work to prevent the ban from happening.

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He’s not the only one. A flurry of new partnerships suggests that at least some U.S. companies are betting the TikTok ban is unlikely to go through:

• In Nov. 2024, LTK announced a new deal with TikTok, enabling creators to include LTK links in TikTok videos to earn affiliate commissions
• In Oct. 2024, American music distributor UnitedMasters entered a multi-year agreement to provide its entire catalog of music to TikTok
• In Aug. 2024, Amazon unveiled its collaboration with TikTok to allow users to buy products on Amazon without ever leaving the social media app

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Regardless of your personal views on the platform, there is no arguing that TikTok has massive implications for the U.S. economy. Seven million U.S. businesses rely on the platform to grow, and TikTok supports the U.S. economy by contributing $24 billion to the U.S. GDP and 224,000 American jobs.

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