Judge sets hearing over Trump administration’s TikTok ban for day after election

A hearing over the Trump administration’s attempt to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok is set to be held one day after the upcoming presidential election, a federal judge said Tuesday. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said he would hold a hearing on Nov. 4 on whether to allow President Trump’s efforts to overhaul how the Chinese-owned platform operates in the U.S., Reuters reported. 

Nichols had issued a preliminary junction on Sept. 27 that temporarily blocked the Commerce Department from ordering app stores to remove TikTok, thereby preventing it from being downloaded by new users. 

The November hearing is scheduled just days before the Commerce Department order’s Nov. 12 deadline that would completely ban the use of TikTok in the U.S. if a deal is not reached between the Trump administration and the company. 

A proposed TikTok deal under consideration by Beijing and Washington would establish a U.S.-headquartered TikTok Global and include a partnership with two American companies, Oracle and Walmart, while preserving the involvement of Beijing-based Byte Dance. 

The administration’s push to overhaul how TikTok operates the U.S, over potential national security concerns raised by the administration, is part of larger efforts to clamp down on Chinese tech companies amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.