*YouTube star MrBeast joked about purchasing TikTok to prevent its potential ban in the U.S.
TikTok, which serves around 170 million Americans, faces a looming January 19 deadline to sever ties with its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or risk being banned due to national security concerns raised by Congress.
Congress passed legislation last year mandating TikTok’s separation from ByteDance, arguing the app’s Chinese ownership could enable surveillance and influence over U.S. users. TikTok has pushed back, including an appeal to the Supreme Court, but justices signaled they may uphold the law.
Reports suggest Chinese officials are considering selling part of TikTok to Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), to keep the platform operational in the U.S. Meanwhile, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), YouTube’s highest-earning creator — reaching 1 billion subscribers, expressed interest in buying TikTok.
“Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned,” MrBeast wrote on X on Tuesday.
Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) January 14, 2025
TikTok faces a January 19 deadline to separate from its parent company, ByteDance. If it fails to do so, the app will no longer be available for updates or downloads from app stores, eventually rendering it nonfunctional in the U.S.
The app may shut down its operations in the U.S. on January 19 if the Supreme Court does not rule in its favor. While the Biden administration will not intervene to block the law requiring TikTok’s ban or sale by that date, it also does not plan to enforce the ban against app stores or internet providers. The Supreme Court announced it may release opinions on Friday (Jan. 17), possibly including a decision about the law.
President-elect Trump, set to take office a day after TikTok’s ban takes effect, is reportedly considering issuing an executive order to delay enforcement of the ban by two to three months, according to The Washington Post.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Yes, A TikTok Ban is Closer Than Ever – No, Your App Probably Won’t Just Disappear | VIDEO
