January 19, 2025

TikTok is working in the app now.

UPDATE: I'd been enjoying TikTok for the last hour, and then when I re-opened the app, I saw this message:


Direct and specific credit given to Trump, who's getting called "President Trump" a little early, but okay.

The law does allow a president to grant a 90-day extension if a buyer is found, but only if there is “significant progress” toward a deal that puts TikTok in the hands of a non-Chinese company. That deal also has to be able to be completed within the 90 days for the president to trigger the extension. And it’s unclear if that extension option still exists, given that the law is already in effect.

In his post on Sunday, Mr. Trump floated the idea that he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” without providing further details. TikTok has said that a sale is impossible, citing the nature of its global operations, and China has already signaled that it would block the export of its all-important video-recommendation technology....

Well, that sounds impossible to work out, and yet, TikTok is back, and we got a chance to show how much we cared. I'd like to see Congress get its act together. And here's AOC on the topic of the weakness of the national security claim:

@aoc Let’s talk about the Tiktok Ban…. #tiktokban ♬ original sound - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

46 comments:

Kakistocracy said...

So Trumps's great thought is the United States should bail out TikTok's owners? (Jeff Yass Trump donor owns 15% of ByteDance)

Also, which service providers are gonna believe this shields them from liability?

"I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.

Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.

I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions.

Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose." ~ Donald J Trump @ TruthSocial

Original Mike said...

"TikTok is working in the app now."

The CCP has found a work-around.

Jersey Fled said...

That’s what China typically requires for foreign companies investing in their country. 50/50 joint venture.

rehajm said...

Oh thank God that’s over. Phew!

Readering said...

So in other words the government did not shut down tik tok, tik tok shut itself down.

Leland said...

I hope Althouse sees the uninstalling Biden tweet at Instapundit.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

They took it down, they put it back up. I wonder how much ransom we had to pay.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Added to What is Best In Life? Leftie's panties bunching up!

Peachy said...

Good news - Joe Biden is being un-installed.

Peachy said...

the scary part - is knowing the Chi Coms have the recipe for the cat litter box cake.

Jimmy said...

Thank goodness our hours long national nightmare is over. Reports of arson to a WI congresspersons office, due to the ban. EMS services are talking people off ledges all over america, telling them we are safe to once again waste hours of time.

Koot Katmandu said...

Good.

Mikey NTH said...

So much drama over so little.

Freder Frederson said...

Seems like the whole Tik Tok kerfuffle has gotten the right's panties in a bunch more than the left. Trump hated it before he loved it. Now you guys don't know what to think about it.

Jupiter said...

President Lincoln is President Lincoln, and President Trump is President Trump.

Paddy O said...

He just won a lot of votes

Original Mike said...

Big day tomorrow, Freder!

Ann Althouse said...

Why didn't Biden do anything to save it? He's been looking for stray achievements to nail down here at the very end and that one was staring right at him. I guess he's responsible for signing the cursed law and if he tried to save us from that law, people would focus on his failure to save it when it really mattered. He might be asked to explain how he changed his mind. But does he even have a mind to change?

Christopher B said...

Exactly.

The law empowers the president to pause the ban for 90 days if TikTok shows it’s in the process of separating from ByteDance, so Trump could pause it once he takes office—which Trump said he will do in a Truth Social post Sunday, saying he hopes to “make a deal to protect our national security,” possibly by shifting TikTok to a joint venture with partial U.S. ownership. (Forbes)

Readering said...

Bipartisan veto proof majorities in both houses passed the tik tok law so there was little Biden could do. He probably thought his announcement to leave enforcement of the law to the new administration was saving tik tok, but the company chose to briefly shut down anyway, presumably to make a point.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

The ban was a bipartisan negotiation tactic, a game of chicken that we appear to have lost, at least for the moment.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

If Trump’s now only asking for 50% ownership, then the Chinese know he will settle for 49% or less. Anyway, 50% is half what the law asked for, which was 100%.

Rabel said...

Readering said...

"Bipartisan veto proof majorities in both houses passed the tik tok law so there was little Biden could do."

The option for a 90 day extension was written into thee law. He could have done that.

And they shut down because they were legally required to. In fact, since Trump is not yet President and the ban started today, I suppose the platforms hosting the service are technically operating illegally until a Trump intervention tomorrow, are they not.

The sweet part is that Biden, by not acting, likely thought he was handing Trump a pile of dung, and Trump found a pony inside!

Big Mike said...

And here's AOC on the topic of the weakness of the national security claim:

@Althouse, seriously?!? You are pointing us towards someone whose IQ is well south of three digits to address the InfoSec concerns? How about if we take you, a Con Law professor with a distinguished CV, and send you “The Little Golden Book of the American Constitution”?

Original Mike said...

"who's getting called "President Trump" a little early, but okay."

ex-Presidents rate the honorific "President " for the rest of their lives.

Readering said...

The 90 day option had conditions not met that Trump will ignore because he believes he can jump start negotiations that China has insisted will not happen. We'll see what happens.

Freder Frederson said...

Why blame Biden? The Supreme Court upheld the law.

Breezy said...

I don’t do TikTok. Now I know I never will. What a morass.

Peachy said...

So Freder - tell us your precious opinion of TicTok. You got it all figured out - right?

Freder Frederson said...

No they don't. "Former President" is the preferred honorific. There is only one President, and that is the currently serving one.

Peachy said...

Democrats are not to blame for anything- right Freder?

Freder Frederson said...

He might be asked to explain how he changed his mind.

The same could be said for Trump. "Because it helped me get elected, so now I love the Chinese" probably wouldn't go over too well.

Freder Frederson said...

Never used it. I think the law banning it is silly, but I've got greater concerns than a pissing contest between Trump, Biden, Congress, the Supreme Court and the Chinese.

Original Mike said...

So you're going to walk up to Barack Obama and say, "Good Morning, Mr. Former President"?

Captain BillieBob said...

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste, or have, or something. Anyway."

Gerda Sprinchorn said...

How does reducing Chinese ownership to 50% keep them from stealing user info?

Jaq said...

You mean like "Ten percent for the Big Guy?" He's gone.

Jaq said...

"I'd been enjoying TikTok for the last hour..."

This is why I wouldn't install it on my phone on a bet. I don't care if the ChiComs know what songs I listen to on Spotify, or where I drive in my car, but I know my addictive personality.

Big Mike said...

@Freder (2:06) actually, yes they do, you ignorant pissant.

Peachy said...

Freder & Company - I bet it's a Trump felony. I hope known Liar Adam Schitt and the folks at MSNBC can get to the bottom of it.

Big Mike said...

@Freder, you are a typical Lefty Loonie. You lack the capacity to understand the InfoSec issues so they must be "silly."

Peachy said...

Anything that helps Trump = a felony! But if the Soros Oligarchs fund the democrat's pro-crime missions - it's all cool. Medal of honor!

rehajm said...

Despite what Ann and Freder believe former Presidents are informally addressed as President_____, where informally means in the news, at functions lesser than state dinners. The recent trend is to deny Republican Presidents the convention. Go take a pre-Bush sample yourself…

rehajm said...

Certainly in the setting of TikTok thanking Trump the title could/would/should be used.

Yancey Ward said...

Poor, dumb Fredo walks into another door.

Krumhorn said...

I always enjoy the elucidations of issues by the semi-cute waitress at the blue plate diner in my nabe when she's playing with and tossing her hair. I start wondering what kinds of noises she makes when...

- Krumhorn