TikTok faces a critical deadline on January 19, 2024, just one day before Trump takes office, to either divest from ByteDance or face a U.S. ban. Despite Trump's recent favorable stance toward the platform, the app's fate remains uncertain.

Trump expressed interest in keeping TikTok operational in the U.S., citing his campaign's success on the platform with "billions of views." He recently met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and noted having a "warm spot" for the app after learning about his campaign's performance.

Key developments:

• The U.S. Senate passed a law in April requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19
• The Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok's appeal
• The U.S. Department of Justice maintains that ByteDance's control poses national security risks
• TikTok claims its data is stored on U.S.-based Oracle Corp servers
• Multiple reports indicate Beijing-based officials still have data access

Even with Trump's support, reversing the ban could prove challenging as the divestiture order received overwhelming Senate approval. The timing presents a particular challenge, with the ban deadline occurring one day before Trump takes office.

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