President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day extension to delay the ban on TikTok in the United States, allowing the popular video app to continue operations. The White House press secretary stated that Trump aims to secure a deal with TikTok during this period to ensure the safety and security of American users’ data. This extension, expected by many, marks the third time Trump has delayed the implementation of a TikTok sell-or-ban law, originally passed by Congress in 2024 under the previous administration.
The law requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations to avoid being banned from U.S. app stores and web hosting services. Concerns over national security have been raised by lawmakers from both parties, alleging potential data sharing between ByteDance and the Chinese government. Despite these concerns, TikTok remains immensely popular among American youth, boasting 170 million users in the U.S.
Various parties, including tech company Oracle and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, have shown interest in acquiring TikTok. Notably, Trump has attributed his improved performance with young voters in the 2024 election to his campaign’s use of the platform. The initial ban deadline in January 2025 resulted in a brief outage of TikTok in the U.S., which was quickly overturned by Trump’s executive order delaying the ban by 75 days on his first day in office.
Overall, Trump’s decision to extend the TikTok ban deadline reflects ongoing efforts to address national security concerns while maintaining the app’s presence for its massive American user base.
