The deadline for TikTok's sale in the United States has been extended by President Donald Trump by another 90 days. After the United States passed a law last year requiring the video-sharing app to be banned unless sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, the app's future has been questioned. TikTok denies that lawmakers claimed it posed a threat to national security. During his campaign for president, Trump pledged to save TikTok. On Thursday, he signed an executive order that has delayed the implementation of the law for the third time. In a statement, TikTok said it was "grateful for President Trump's leadership and support" in keeping the app online for its 170m US users.
"We continue to work with Vice President Vance's Office," it added.
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump stated that ByteDance must now reach a deal to sell TikTok in the United States by September 17. The further delay was an expected development in the long-running process of securing a buyer for TikTok.
It is thought the authorities in Beijing will need to approve any sale or part sale of the app by its parent company.
In the United States, there were concerns that the Chinese government might demand data on US users from TikTok or ByteDance. Trump said on Tuesday he expected there would be a further delay.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that a further 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."
'Flouting' the law
During his first term in office, Trump attempted to compel the sale of TikTok to an American buyer in 2020. But last year, he said that the platform helped him win the 2024 presidential election, indicating that he had changed his mind. Despite the fact that the majority of young voters supported the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Trump stated in December, "I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points." The law was supposed to go into effect on January 19, one day before Trump was sworn in for a second term. In the courts, TikTok challenged its constitutionality. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court days before it was supposed to go into effect. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat, criticized Trump's decision.
"Once again, the Trump administration is flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks posed by a PRC-controlled TikTok," Warner said in a statement.
"An executive order can't sidestep the law, but that's exactly what the president is trying to do," Warner added.
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