President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for a potential TikTok ban in the United States by an additional 75 days through a new executive order issued on April 4. This decision comes just hours before a law could have forced TikTok to cease operations within the country. The extension provides the app’s parent company, ByteDance, with crucial time to negotiate a sale of its US assets and avoid a complete ban.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump stated, “My administration has been working very hard on a deal to save TikTok, and we have made tremendous progress.” He acknowledged that more time was needed to finalize the necessary approvals, which prompted the extension.
Trump expressed a commitment to collaborating in good faith with China on this matter, despite recent tensions arising from new tariffs targeting Chinese goods. “We don’t want TikTok to go away,” he emphasized.
Despite interest from various parties in acquiring TikTok’s US operations—including a late bid from Amazon—ByteDance has not yet secured a final agreement, which is essential for the app to continue operating without restrictions, as mandated by a law passed by Congress.
This intervention by Trump is not unprecedented; his position on TikTok has evolved significantly since 2020 when he initially sought an outright ban due to national security concerns. Following the overturning of the ban under President Joe Biden and Trump’s own effective use of TikTok during his 2024 campaign, he shifted focus to preserving the platform. Earlier this year, upon returning to the White House, he signed an executive order that delayed the enforcement of the congressional law requiring ByteDance to divest its US operations.
With the recent executive order signed, TikTok has temporarily avoided a ban in the US market. However, its long-term future remains uncertain and hinges on whether ByteDance can secure a suitable buyer and obtain the required government approvals within the next 75 days.
