TikTok’s Ban Delayed Again: What You Need to Know
Great news for TikTok enthusiasts: the anticipated ban will be postponed this Saturday.
On Friday, President Trump took to Truth Social to share his plan to sign an executive order extending TikTok’s operational status for an extra 75 days. This extension provides the U.S. government and TikTok until June 18 to locate a buyer, or risk delaying the matter once again.
This marks the second time that Trump has postponed the ramifications of what is commonly referred to as the TikTok ban—officially titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This legislation mandated that TikTok’s parent organization, ByteDance, find a buyer based in the U.S., or face an outright prohibition from the country. Although ByteDance did not complete a sale, the app became inaccessible in the U.S. shortly before the deadline. Fortunately, TikTok was able to resume services the following day after receiving assurances from Trump that there would be no consequences for doing so.
In fact, on the initial day of his second term, Trump enacted an executive order to extend the ban for an additional 75 days. Since that time, multiple entities, including Amazon, Oracle, and even popular figure Mr. Beast, have shown interest in acquiring TikTok in compliance with the law. However, without any formal agreements with ByteDance, the company was facing a deadline of April 5—absent Trump’s extension, TikTok would have encountered another ban.
It’s important to note that the legality of Trump’s ability to postpone this ban is questionable. The act was enacted by Congress, sanctioned by President Biden, and validated by the Supreme Court. Typically, presidents cannot disregard existing laws or oppose the established functions of other government branches. Nonetheless, Trump’s Justice Department has not been enforcing the law, resulting in the current situation.
During his announcement, Trump indicated that his administration has been engaging with China—home to TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance—demonstrating a willingness to cooperate, despite tensions arising from Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs.” The unexpectedly high tariffs implemented by the Trump administration have reverberated across the global economy, prompting reciprocal measures from various nations, including China. The influence of the ongoing tariff situation on future TikTok negotiations remains uncertain.