Commerce Department says TikTok can continue to operate in the U.S.

Earlier this week, officials representing social media platform TikTok said that the Trump administration had gone silent about its fate to operate within the U.S. Now, the Department of Commerce has put some of those questions to rest. 

On Thursday, the agency announced that it would stand by a temporary injunction that will prevent TikTok from having to shut down its U.S.-based operations. The statement came only hours before TikTok would have been forced to abide by an executive order issued in late September. 

“The Department is complying with the terms of [the injunction]. Accordingly, this serves as NOTICE that the [Commerce] Secretary’s prohibition of identified transactions pursuant to Executive Order 13942, related to TikTok, HAS BEEN ENJOINED, and WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT, pending further legal developments,” the Commerce Department said in a filing. 

While the decision will allow TikTok to continue operating within the U.S., it’s not yet clear if its parent company will need to meet demands to sell off U.S. assets. The Trump administration has stated that it opposes the app because it allegedly represents a threat to national security due to connections with the Chinese government.