Trump extends TikTok’s US ban deadline for a third time
TikTok is given another lifeline in the US as President Trump grants a fresh 90-day extension.
TikTok’s ban is on pause- again
After being rumoured last week, the White House has now confirmed that President Donald Trump has extended TikTok’s sale or ban deadline in the US for a third time.
Trump initially led talks to ban TikTok from the US back in 2020, citing national security concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership. This was then signed by his successor, former President Joe Biden. Now President for a second time, Trump is trying to prevent its ban.
The law requires TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell its US operations to an American company or face a ban. The original deadline was set for January 19. That was pushed back 75 days to early April, before being extended by 75 days again to June 19. Now, a new 90-day extension will set the new deadline for mid-September.
Still no deal in sight
ByteDance and Oracle were reportedly close to an agreement in April. However, Trump’s tariffs fueled US-China trade tensions- throwing a spanner in the works and there has been little news of a potential deal being on the horizon.
Trump previously expressed he had a “warm spot” for the app back in May, and the White House’s most recent communication doubles down on this. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed:
“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark.”
So, what’s next?
As for what lies ahead, Trump is still holding out for a deal to ensure “the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure”. Meanwhile analysts have begun to dismiss the idea that there is any real threat of a ban while Trump is in charge, and lawyers have questioned whether Trump’s repeated extensions are even legal.
For now, TikTok is safe in the US until mid-September. Whether a deal can finally be struck, or whether the platform will face a permanent ban remains to be seen.