Despite law, US TikTok ban likely to remain on hold
[SAN FRANCISCO] US President Donald Trump is widely expected to extend the Thursday deadline for TikTok to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the United States.
It would be the third time Trump put off enforcing a federal law requiring its sale or ban, which was to take effect the day before his January inauguration.
'I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,' Trump said in an NBC News interview in early May.
'If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension.'
Trump said a group of purchasers is ready to pay TikTok owner ByteDance 'a lot of money' for the video-clip-sharing sensation's US operations.
Trump has repeatedly downplayed risks that TikTok is in danger, saying he remains confident of finding a buyer for the app's US business.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
The president is 'just not motivated to do anything about TikTok,' said independent analyst Rob Enderle.
'Unless they get on his bad side, TikTok is probably going to be in pretty good shape.'
Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, but reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform after coming to believe it helped him win young voters' support in the November election.
'Trump's not really doing great on his election promises,' Enderle maintained.
'This could be one that he can actually deliver on.'
Digital Cold War?
Motivated by national security fears and belief in Washington that TikTok is controlled by the Chinese government, the ban took effect on Jan 19, one day before Trump's inauguration, with ByteDance having made no attempt to find a suitor.
TikTok 'has become a symbol of the US-China tech rivalry; a flashpoint in the new Cold War for digital control,' said Shweta Singh, an assistant professor of information systems at Warwick Business School in Britain.
'National security, economic policy, and digital governance are colliding,' Singh added.
The Republican president announced an initial 75-day delay of the ban upon taking office.
A second extension pushed the deadline to June 19.
As of Monday, there was no word of a TikTok sale in the works.
Tariff turmoil
Trump said in April that China would have agreed to a deal on the sale of TikTok if it were not for a dispute over tariffs imposed by Washington on Beijing.
ByteDance has confirmed talks with the US government, saying key matters needed to be resolved and that any deal would be 'subject to approval under Chinese law'.
Possible solutions reportedly include seeing existing US investors in ByteDance roll over their stakes into a new independent global TikTok company.
Additional US investors, including Oracle and private equity firm Blackstone, would be brought on to reduce ByteDance's share in the new TikTok.
Much of TikTok's US activity is already housed on Oracle servers, and the company's chairman, Larry Ellison, is a longtime Trump ally.
Uncertainty remains, particularly over what would happen to TikTok's valuable algorithm.
'TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand - it's simply not as powerful,' said Forrester principal analyst Kelsey Chickering.
Meanwhile, it appears TikTok is continuing with business as usual.
TikTok on Monday introduced a new 'Symphony' suite of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for advertisers to turn words or photos into video snippets for the platform.
'With TikTok Symphony, we're empowering a global community of marketers, brands, and creators to tell stories that resonate, scale, and drive impact on TikTok,' global head of creative and brand products Andy Yang said in a release. AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
23 minutes ago
- CNA
Israel, Iran trade blows as air war rages into fifth day
TEHRAN: Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire for a fifth consecutive day on Tuesday (Jun 17), as United States President Donald Trump abruptly left the G7 summit and warned Tehran residents to "immediately evacuate" amid rising fears of a wider conflict. The Israeli military said it targeted multiple missile and UAV sites in western Iran, including surface-to-surface missile infrastructure, surface-to-air launchers and drone storage facilities, in a statement accompanied by black-and-white footage showing missile launchers exploding. Shortly after, air raid sirens sounded in parts of Israel. Loud booms were heard over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, AFP journalists reported, as the Israeli army warned of incoming missiles launched from Iran. "Sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran," the military said, adding the air force was "operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat". Around 20 minutes later, the army said people could leave protected spaces. Police said shrapnel fell in Tel Aviv, causing damage but no casualties. The fire service said its teams were on the way to battle a blaze in the commercial hub. Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the missile blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. A new wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran - including a dramatic hit on state television's headquarters that the broadcaster said killed three people - prompted both sides to activate missile defence systems overnight. Israel's army briefly urged citizens to seek shelter, amid growing fears of a regional war. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it had killed Iran's top military commander, Ali Shadmani, in an overnight strike, calling him the closest figure to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a statement, the military said following "a sudden opportunity overnight, the (Israeli air force) struck a staffed command centre in the heart of Tehran and eliminated Ali Shadmani, the wartime Chief of Staff, the most senior military commander, and the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei". The Israeli army said Shadmani had commanded both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian armed forces. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the US was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia on Monday, scrapping a planned Vietnam stop, amid reports it was heading to the region. A White House spokesman said US forces remained in a defensive posture. The US leader Trump has repeatedly declined to say whether the United States would support Israeli military action and has insisted Washington was not involved in the initial strikes. After calling for talks, Trump issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" He left the G7 summit in Canada a day early to return to Washington. Later, he dismissed reports that he left to broker a ceasefire, lashing out at French President Emmanuel Macron. "Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron ... mistakenly said I left the G7 ... to work on a 'cease fire,'" Trump posted on Truth Social. "Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that.. Stay Tuned!" "ONE AFTER THE OTHER" After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched its surprise air campaign last week, saying it aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons - a charge Tehran denies. Iran has responded with multiple missile salvos. The Revolutionary Guards vowed Monday night the attacks would continue "without interruption until dawn". The escalation has derailed nuclear talks and stoked fears of broader conflict. Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said a missile strike lightly damaged a building used by the American embassy in Tel Aviv. The State Department warned Americans not to travel to Israel. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to the prime minister's office. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was eliminating Iran's security leadership "one after the other". "We are changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself," he said. "STOP" CIVILIAN STRIKES International calls for calm have mounted. At the G7 summit in the Canadian Rockies, leaders including Trump called on Monday for "de-escalation" while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself. "We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza", G7 leaders said in a joint statement that also affirmed "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon". China called on Israel and Iran to both "immediately take measures to cool down the tensions" and avoid plunging the region into deeper turmoil. The US and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks, but Iran said after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate while under attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that "absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue". "It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy," he wrote on X. A senior US official told AFP that Trump had intervened to of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Straits Times
33 minutes ago
- Straits Times
New container ship named Singapore is latest of 32 vessels in Ocean Network Express's fleet expansion
ONE Singapore is 336-metres long and has a capacity of 13,900 twenty-foot equivalent units. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES New container ship named Singapore is latest of 32 vessels in Ocean Network Express's fleet expansion IMABARI, Japan - Singapore-based shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) has named its latest vessel after the Republic, in a ceremony held in Ehime, Japan, on June 17. The vessel, ONE Singapore, is the sixth in a series of 32 new ships of the very large container class that the company has ordered, all of which will be registered in Singapore. The fleet is part of a major effort by ONE to expand its shipping capacity and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, with the new ships being designed to allow for the use of alternatives to fossil fuels. While the company declined to reveal the total cost of the new fleet, CEO Jeremy Nixon told BT that such vessels typically cost between US$200 million and US$225 million each. ONE is the seventh-largest shipping company in the world by fleet size, with around 260 vessels. The new vessels will bring that total to more than 290. While most of ONE's existing fleet is chartered, ONE will own the new vessels it has ordered, and can thus choose their flag, or country of registration. 'The Singapore Registry of Ships offers ONE a high-quality flag backed by strong regulatory standards, efficient administration, and a reputation for safety and compliance,' said a representative of the company. ONE currently has a total of around 50 vessels on order: the new fleet of very large container ships and others of different classes. Singapore commitment (From left) MPA regional director (Japan and Korea) Samuel Soo, MPA assistant chief executive (industry and transformation) Kenneth Lim, Singapore Maritime Foundation executive director Tan Beng Tee, Ocean Network Express CEO Jeremy Nixon, International Maritime Centre Promotion (Japan and Korea) deputy director Ng Weiting. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES Tuesday's naming ceremony was held at the Hiroshima shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding, one of multiple shipyards contracted to deliver these new ships. At the ceremony, Nixon said: 'This vessel, carrying the name of our global headquarters city, symbolises our strong connection to Singapore's vibrant maritime ecosystem.' He added: 'We continue to build upon ONE's strong commitment to Singapore, in its prime position as the leading global international maritime centre.' The vessel's godmother – a prominent woman traditionally invited to officially name a ship – is Tan Beng Tee, executive director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation and senior adviser at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). ONE Singapore and ONE Synergy, two new vessels from Ocean Network Express' new fleet, at Imabari shipyard. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES ONE Singapore is 336-metres long and has a capacity of 13,900 twenty-foot equivalent units – a measure of container volume that refers to the space occupied by a standard 20-foot shipping container. It will enter service by the end of June on a trans-Pacific route between the US and Asia. While the ship will use conventional marine fuel, it can be modified to use two cleaner marine fuels, methanol or ammonia, when they are available in future. Singapore is the world's largest hub for bunkering, or supplying fuel to ships. The Republic has taken early steps towards supplying those cleaner fuels, including multiple trials since 2023. Singapore held the world's first ammonia bunkering trial in 2024, and this March, opened applications for licences to supply methanol. The ships in ONE's new series are also designed for increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. For instance, they incorporate devices that reduce hydrodynamic drag, meaning that it takes less energy to propel the ship. Of the new fleet, the first 20 vessels are being built by Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Japan's Nihon Shipyard, which is a joint venture between Imabari Shipyard and Japan Marine United. These will be delivered in 2025 and 2026. The remaining 12 vessels will be built by the China shipyards Jiangnan Shipyard and SGX-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. These will be delivered from 2027. Earlier this month, ONE reportedly signed for an additional eight container ships of the ultra large class with HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering in a deal worth around US$1.8 billion. THE BUSINESS TIMES Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump says his G-7 summit departure not linked to any Israel-Iran ceasefire offer
Mr Trump left the G-7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington due to the Middle East situation. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump says his G-7 summit departure not linked to any Israel-Iran ceasefire offer WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said late on June 16 his early departure from the Group of Seven nations summit has "nothing to do with" working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron who said Mr Trump made a ceasefire proposal. Mr Macron 'mistakenly said that I left the G-7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to DC to work on a 'cease fire' between Israel and Iran,' Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he left the G-7 summit in Canada to return to Washington. "Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that," Mr Trump added in the post. Mr Macron said earlier on June 16 that Mr Trump had made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions," Mr Macron told reporters at the G-7. Mr Trump left the G-7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington due to the Middle East situation. In his Truth Social post, the US president called Mr Macron a "publicity seeking" leader and added: "Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong." The French embassy in Washington had no immediate comment outside work hours. The air war between Iran and US ally Israel - which began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran with air strikes - has raised alarms in a region that had already been on edge since the start of Israel's military assault on Gaza in October 2023. Since the Israeli strikes on June 13, the two Middle Eastern rivals have exchanged blows, with Iranian officials reporting over 220 deaths, mostly civilians, while Israel said 24 civilians were killed. Israel, the US and other Western nations have long sought to pressure Iran to curb its nuclear weapons development. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has said it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons. Washington said Mr Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
