MWE Correspondent
Donald Trump has once again pushed back the U.S. government’s enforcement of a ban on TikTok, granting the Chinese-owned social media app another 90 days to finalize a sale to an American buyer.
The extension, announced Tuesday, ensures that the platform will remain available to its roughly 170 million U.S. users despite legislation passed last year aimed at addressing national security threats linked to China.
This is now the third delay since the enactment of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which President Trump signed into law in April 2024. The legislation gives TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, a clear choice: sell or be banned from the American market.
Lawmakers from both parties have long expressed concerns that TikTok’s ownership poses a threat to national security, citing the possibility that user data could be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some also fear that the app may be used for foreign influence operations.
The law required TikTok to be sold or banned by January 19, 2025, but Trump’s administration has already delayed enforcement twice before this most recent announcement. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the extension gives TikTok more time to complete a sale “in an orderly and lawful way.”
As the deadline looms, several major U.S. technology companies have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. Among them are Amazon, AppLovin, and Perplexity AI. However, previous negotiations collapsed earlier this year after the U.S.–China trade tensions intensified, prompting Beijing to signal it might block any forced sale of Chinese tech assets.
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Legal scholars warn that repeated extensions of the ban may be stretching the limits of executive authority. Critics argue that the president is sidestepping a clear mandate from Congress. Others point out that unless the U.S. Department of Justice can prove ByteDance misused user data, any ban could face significant hurdles in federal court.
Some insiders believe TikTok’s popularity with younger voters may also be influencing the administration’s position. In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, TikTok became a major digital campaign tool, particularly for reaching users under 30.
The clock is ticking. If ByteDance cannot complete a sale by the new deadline in September, TikTok could face removal from Apple’s App Store and Google Play, as well as other distribution platforms across the U.S. That would not only impact millions of content creators but also affect brands and businesses that rely on the platform for marketing and engagement.
