President Trump said Friday he’s “very happy” to allow TikTok to continue operations in the U.S. as long as security concerns over its ties to China are resolved.
Trump told reporters that he’s spoken with top executives at Oracle, Walmart and Microsoft about the prospect of them purchasing the video-sharing app as his administration mulls a proposition to give Oracle and Walmart ownership stakes in and greater control over the company while not completely cutting out China-based ByteDance, the current owner.
“We have some great options and maybe we can keep a lot of people happy but have the security that we need. We have to have the total security from China,” Trump said.
The remark came after the White House announced it will ban WeChat and TikTok from U.S. app stores starting Sunday as it escalates its efforts to clamp down on the two Chinese-owned apps.
The Commerce Department’s restrictions bar companies from providing internet hosting, content delivery networks or peering services for WeChat or use any of the app’s code, functions or services within the U.S. as of Sunday. However, the same restrictions will not apply to TikTok until Nov. 12, giving the app time before the election to reach a deal and continue services to its expansive U.S. user base.
The order still bans TikTok from U.S. mobile app stores starting Sunday night.
“Today’s actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. “At the President’s direction, we have taken significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations.”