TikTok Ban Delayed: Trump Extends Deadline by 75 Days

TikTok Ban Deadline Extended by President Trump

President Donald Trump has opted to prolong the prohibition of TikTok by an additional 75 days. This decision was communicated via a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, where he indicated the signing of an executive order to facilitate the completion of a prospective agreement.

The announcement arrived just one day before the initial ban was scheduled to take effect. Trump expressed confidence in the progress made towards a resolution.

Details of the Extension

“My Administration has been working diligently to achieve a resolution that will SAVE TikTok, and substantial headway has been made,” Trump stated. “Further work is needed to secure all required approvals, prompting my decision to issue an Executive Order allowing TikTok to remain operational for an extra 75 days.”

This represents the second instance of Trump extending the deadline concerning the TikTok ban. Originally, ByteDance faced a January 19th deadline to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets, as stipulated by legislation enacted last year under former President Joe Biden.

Previous Disruptions and Current Proposals

Prior to the executive order, TikTok experienced a brief period of unavailability, being removed from both the Apple and Google app stores before being reinstated.

Reports from Bloomberg indicate that Trump examined a proposal presented by a consortium of U.S. investors on Wednesday. This group includes prominent firms such as Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz, and their proposal is currently viewed as a leading candidate for a potential deal.

Other entities expressing interest in a potential agreement are Amazon, Perplexity, Project Liberty (backed by Frank McCourt), Walmart, and AppLovin.

Challenges to Finalizing a Deal

However, any agreement necessitates approval from the Chinese government. Furthermore, ByteDance has not yet demonstrated a willingness to sell TikTok or diminish its ownership stake, as mandated by the existing TikTok ban law.

This development follows Trump’s recent announcement of substantial tariffs imposed on China, specifically a 34% rate. He has previously suggested a potential reduction in these tariffs to encourage a TikTok deal.

Trump's Statement on Tariffs and National Security

In his announcement regarding the TikTok ban extension, Trump conveyed: “We aim to continue engaging with China in good faith, despite their apparent dissatisfaction with our reciprocal tariffs – a necessity for equitable trade between China and the U.S.A.! This underscores the power of tariffs as an economic instrument and their importance to our National Security!”

He further added, “We do not desire TikTok to cease operations. We anticipate collaborating with TikTok and China to finalize the agreement.”

China's Response

In response to the imposed tariffs, China announced on Friday its intention to implement a 34% tariff on all imports originating from the United States.

Here's a breakdown of key players: