According to multiple media outlets including Caijing, sources on November 13 indicated that the Trump team has sent an important signal, suggesting that Trump intends to "fulfill" his campaign promise to prevent TikTok from being banned in the US.

This news undoubtedly provides temporary relief to TikTok employees and creators, at least alleviating fears of overnight job loss.

However, specific details about "saving" TikTok remain unclear at present. Trump will decide the extent of his support based on where his interests lie.

Trump's stance on TikTok shifts

In 2020, Trump expressed intentions to ban TikTok, but by 2024, his stance had done a complete 180-degree turn, stating that he would never ban TikTok.

Part of the reason behind this shift is to attract younger voters. This year, TikTok has become a "key battlefield" for Trump to promote his positions and attract voters during his campaign phase.

After joining TikTok, Trump quickly gained a large number of followers with his "down-to-earth" style, in contrast to Biden, who appears less appealing to younger American voters.

Currently, Trump has 14.4 million followers on TikTok. Several members of Trump's family, including Ivanka, Donald Jr., and his granddaughter Kai Trump, have also joined the platform.

Regarding the question of "whether TikTok will be shut down after Trump takes office?", optimistic voices are gradually emerging, believing that the likelihood of a shutdown is low.

Industry insiders point out that firstly, a large investment group has made substantial profits from TikTok, providing up to hundreds of millions of dollars in support for Trump's campaign and governance.

Furthermore, TikTok has boosted local employment, and some companies associated with Trump's camp and influential enterprises in the US have also benefited. These forces collectively prevent Trump from taking drastic actions against TikTok easily.

For example, Trump met with major Republican donor Jeff Yass in March, who holds approximately 15% of ByteDance's shares. Yass's support may have influenced Trump's stance.

ByteDance supports TikTok's alternative

Lemon 8, launched by ByteDance with a lemon yellow theme, combines the strengths of "Xiaohongshu, Instagram, Pinterest," and others, focusing on beauty, fashion, food, travel, and other content.

Although Lemon 8 launched in 2020, ByteDance only began heavily investing in it in recent years, and it has now expanded into Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US markets.

Faced with the ban, ByteDance has not abandoned its overseas social media layout but instead views Lemon8 as a backup plan to cope with the ban, providing significant support to this sister application.

According to statistics, from April 2023 to April 2024, Lemon 8's advertising materials in markets outside of mainland China exceeded 53,000, demonstrating its commitment and determination comparable to TikTok's overseas expansion period.

ByteDance has gone to great lengths to retain users by integrating TikTok and Lemon 8.

ByteDance announced that TikTok accounts can directly access Lemon8, allowing the preservation of the user base while avoiding potential risks by transferring creators to the new platform.

It's hard to say if Trump's salvation is good or bad

TikTok's nightmare began under the Biden administration.

In April this year, Biden signed a bill "forcing ByteDance to sell its TikTok business in the US." The bill stipulates that ByteDance's post-sale shareholding cannot exceed 20% and must be completed within 270 days; otherwise, TikTok will be banned in the US. Biden also kindly offered a 90-day extension if the sale proceeds smoothly.

Interestingly, the deadline for this TikTok divestiture bill was carefully calculated—the final deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok is set for January 19, 2025, the day before the new president's inauguration.

Biden's think tank is astute. On the one hand, Biden has left Trump with little time, with only two months remaining before TikTok faces a "sell or be banned" ultimatum. On the other hand, the timing coincides with Biden's stepping down. If the new administration fails to act in time, the policy will be implemented smoothly, regardless of the consequences.

Overturning the TikTok divestiture bill is not easy as it has broad bipartisan support, and the federal courts may support the current administration.

Trump's return brings a glimmer of hope to TikTok. TikTok's American users and fans hope that Trump can find a way to save it in the next two months. Trump's primary concern is whether "TikTok will obey," and he will only save it from distress after confirming that ByteDance is willing to "cede sufficient rights to TikTok."

Alan Rozenshtein, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, pointed out, "Even with Trump's support, TikTok still needs structural changes to continue operating in the US." "Trump may ask the new Attorney General not to enforce Biden's executive order, but he will still impose restrictions on TikTok."

In the short term, Trump will signal hope for TikTok under his administration; however, in the long term, TikTok will inevitably face greater deconstruction in future legal, political, and congressional battles. It remains uncertain whether Trump can truly "save" TikTok.