The clock never seems to be used to tiktok exhaust.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday granting the very popular social media app to make another 90-day deal to sell himself to buyers U.S. officials think are suitable or face a federal ban. The latest extension pushes deadline to September 17.
The long-delayed ban was originally scheduled to have an impact in January, but has now been postponed three times by Trump, who have both acknowledged their preference for Tiktok and repeatedly promised not to evacuate the app from Americans.
Both Tiktok and the Chinese government have been opposed to the sale of the company’s U.S. operations, and it is unclear whether their positions have changed. Furthermore, in the months since Trump took office, his administration and China have been trapped in a tariff war, with tensions between the two countries increasing and shaking global markets.
Read more: tiktok backup: 6 similar applications for your daily fun
Lawmakers in both parties have long expressed concern that Tiktok could pose a threat to national security that the Chinese government could use to monitor Americans or spread misinformation to further the Chinese agenda. Tiktok continues to deny the allegations.
Last year Congress passed overwhelming bipartisan support and the law was signed by then-President Joe Biden. Free speech advocates and other groups filed lawsuits to overturn the law on First Amendment grounds, but the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in January.
So what’s next for Tiktok? This is what you need to know.
Watch the following: United States and Tiktok: What’s going to happen next
What does the law do?
The law aims to force the barbarians to sell tiktok to buyers approved by U.S. officials and to ensure that the beast no longer has access to U.S. user data or control over Tiktok algorithms.
Tiktok was given nine months of compliance, so it was originally a sales deadline of January 19, 2025, when the government may need to remove its app from the U.S. app stores and ask other tech companies to stop supporting the app and website.
Tiktok closed in the U.S. on the evening of January 18, citing the ban, but the next morning, Trump promised that he would not immediately enforce the ban. Trump later signed an execution order directing the attorney general not to enforce the ban for 75 days, effectively moving the deadline to April 5.
Shortly before this deadline, Trump issued his second 75-day executive order, saying “tremendous progress has been made” but no deal was reached. The delay to postpone the deadline to June 19 is no surprise. In Tiktok’s U.S. business, several potential bidders made their interest known in the days before this, and Trump has been meeting with administration officials to discuss possible deals and ownership structures.
Read more: Tiktok likes to provide financial advice. But don’t believe everything you hear
What does Trump mean?
Trump initially called for a ban during his first presidency, saying in his 2024 campaign that he did not support one person and promised to “save Tiktok”, although he did not specify how he did it.
Shortly before signing the second extension, Trump told the press that there was “a great interest in Tiktok”. He added that he “wanted to see Tiktok still alive”. The president also said, “We have a lot of potential buyers” and his administration is “dealing with China” and has long opposed the sale.
Trump said on March 26 that he would consider lowering tariffs on Chinese goods if the Chinese government approves the sale of Tiktok’s U.S. business. At the time, he also reiterated his willingness to postpone the deadline when needed.
Trump also proposed the idea that the U.S. took 50% of the company’s shares as part of the joint venture, but did not give specific information on how it works.
Tiktok CEO Shou Chew was one of several high-profile tech executives who attended Trump’s inauguration in January, just hours before Trump signed the order to grant a 75-day extension.
It was followed by Trump’s report in December when he pointed out Tiktok’s role in the election and praised the role by helping him get votes from young people.
“Tictok has had an impact, so we’re studying it,” Trump said. “I have a warm place in my heart. Honestly.”
