TikTok’s presence in the United States is secure for an additional three months, as President Donald Trump prepares to extend the deadline for potential sale or banning of the popular video-sharing app. This marks the third time Trump has postponed the decision since taking office this year.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced, “President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running.” Initially, the app was set to face a ban following the failure of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to a U.S. buyer by the previously established January deadline.
Extension aimed at user security
Leavitt explained that the 90-day extension is designed to “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.” Prior to this declaration, Trump indicated to the media that he would likely prolong the TikTok deadline. He expressed optimism regarding obtaining the necessary approval from China, stating, “I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.” When questioned about the legal basis for extending the deadline, Trump confidently asserted, “We do.”
Congressional opposition and public sentiment
This extension contrasts with Congressional decisions made last year, when legislation was passed to enforce a sale or ban of TikTok. Former President Joe Biden enacted this law in response to national security concerns, given that TikTok has amassed 170 million users in the U.S. and could potentially serve as a tool for espionage and political manipulation by China.
The Supreme Court supported a lower court ruling that upheld this law in January, shortly before Trump assumed office. Remarkably, TikTok resumed operations after a brief outage just before Trump’s inauguration, receiving praise from the platform for its continuation.
During his first term, Trump attempted to mandate a sale of TikTok to an American entity. However, he later expressed a positive regard for the platform, claiming it played a role in his electoral success with younger voters in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Reflecting on this, Trump remarked, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points,” despite evidence suggesting that most young voters favored the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris.
Analysts have begun to question the likelihood of a ban occurring under Trump’s administration, with Forrester principal analyst Kelsey Chickering stating, “What ban? There is nothing ‘looming’ about the potential TikTok ban anymore.” She noted the platform’s confidence, evidenced by its rollout of new AI video tools at the Cannes event.
While smaller competitors like Snap may attempt to capitalize on this uncertain period, analysts believe they will face significant challenges against TikTok’s established dominance. The Trump administration had previously suggested a deal that would place majority control of TikTok’s U.S. operations under American ownership, but such an agreement has yet to be finalized. A ByteDance spokesperson commented, “There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law.”
Trump has indicated a willingness to consider selling TikTok to Oracle, a cloud computing giant, with co-founder Larry Ellison being a longstanding ally. Other bids for the platform include interests from billionaire Frank McCourt, Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Additionally, the world-renowned YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has expressed interest in acquiring TikTok as part of a different investor group.