Former President Donald Trump has announced a 75-day extension on enforcing the TikTok sale-or-ban law, just one day before the ban was set to take effect. The decision follows his recent move to impose a 34% tariff on China, which disrupted a deal that would have transferred TikTok’s U.S. operations to American ownership.
“We’ve made great progress, but more work is needed for all approvals,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that he doesn’t want TikTok to “go dark.”
The extension marks the second delay since Trump took office in January. President Joe Biden had previously signed a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations due to national security concerns.
A deal had reportedly been finalized earlier this week, involving American investors and tech firms. Under the agreement, ByteDance would retain only a 20% stake in the new U.S.-controlled TikTok company, with no influence over algorithms or data.
However, after Trump’s tariff announcement, China pulled back from the agreement, prompting the White House to postpone enforcement. ByteDance confirmed discussions with the U.S. government were ongoing but emphasized that no deal had been finalized and any agreement must comply with Chinese laws.
The delay allows TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users to continue using the app, but its future remains uncertain amid rising U.S.-China tensions. Congress, which passed the ban law last year with bipartisan support, may not be pleased with the continued postponements.
Legal experts warn the second delay could violate the original intent of the law, which only allowed for one 90-day extension. Critics say Trump is using TikTok as a tool in broader trade negotiations with China.
TikTok has not commented publicly, but its CEO, Shou Chew, was present at Trump’s inauguration and has expressed interest in working with the administration on a long-term solution.
