US President Donald Trump extended the sale deadline of TikTok in the United States by another 90 days. The popular video app has been questioned over its existence ever since the US enacted a law last year mandating that the app would need to be prohibited unless it was sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Lawmakers stated that it was a threat to national security – something that TikTok denies. Trump, who promised to rescue TikTok in his presidential campaign, issued an executive order on Thursday that postponed the deadline for implementing the law for the third time.
TikTok, in a statementTrump to extend TikTok ban deadline, White House confirms, expressed it was “thankful for President Trump’s leadership and support” for keeping the app running for its 170m US users. We are still engaging with Vice President Vance’s Office,” it further added.
A sale of TikTok in the US by ByteDance must now be agreed upon by 17 September, Trump stated in a post on his platform Truth Social. The delay was a predictable step in the protracted exercise of finding a buyer for TikTok.
It is believed the Beijing authorities will have to sanction any sale or partial sale of the app by its parent company. The legislation was initiated by concerns in the US that TikTok or ByteDance would be required to share information about US users with the Chinese government.
Trump on Tuesday stated he anticipated another delay. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Wednesday that another 90-day extension would “ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”
Trump attempted to compel a sale of TikTok to an American acquirer in 2020, during his initial term as president. But last year, he signalled he’d had a change of heart, saying the platform had helped him win the 2024 presidential election.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points,” Trump said in December, although most young voters backed the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The legislation was set to become effective on 19 January, one day before Trump’s inauguration into office for a second term. TikTok contested its validity in the courts. The Supreme Court validated the legislation days before it was to become effective.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, who is a Democrat, was critical of Trump’s move. Again, the Trump administration is disregarding the law and dismissing its national security conclusions regarding the dangers represented by a PRC-owned TikTok,” Warner stated in a press release.
“An executive order can’t circumvent the law, but that is precisely what the president is attempting to do,” Warner continued.
