Trump Delays TikTok Ban Yet Again, White House Confirms

In a controversial move, President Trump is poised to prolong the sale or ban deadline for TikTok, allowing the platform to remain operational in the U.S. for at least three more months.

The popular video-sharing app TikTok will continue to thrive in the United States as President Donald Trump prepares to sign an Executive Order extending the deadline for its potential sale or ban for a third time this year. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that this latest 90-day extension aims to ensure that negotiations are completed, thus allowing American users to utilize the platform with confidence regarding their data security.

Originally, TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, faced a deadline in January to sell the app to a U.S. entity or face a ban, following bipartisan concerns about the app's security and potential for data misuse. In earlier comments to the BBC, Trump noted that he would likely extend the deadline, claiming, “I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.” When questioned about the legal grounds for such an extension, Trump asserted, “We do.”

This decision, however, contradicts Congress’s previous efforts, which enacted a law mandating the sale or ban of TikTok. The legislation, passed during the Biden administration, was designed to mitigate fears that TikTok could be exploited by China for espionage and political manipulation. The U.S. Supreme Court previously upheld this law in January, just prior to Trump's inauguration, after TikTok briefly faced a shutdown.

Market analysts express skepticism about the actualization of a ban, interpreting Trump’s extensions as indicative of a sustainable resolution. Kelsey Chickering, a principal analyst at Forrester, stated, “What ban? There is nothing 'looming' about the potential TikTok ban anymore.” She suggested that TikTok was capitalizing on its strong future prospects by launching new artificial intelligence tools, while smaller competitors like Snap would struggle to capture the market during this period of uncertainty.

There have been discussions around structuring a deal that would grant American firms majority control over TikTok, a proposal the Trump administration claimed was close to realization in April. Yet, such an agreement remains elusive and is subject to Chinese regulatory approval, as stated by a ByteDance spokesperson. Trump has shown interest in a potential sale to tech giant Oracle, while other bidders, including prominent figures such as billionaire Frank McCourt and YouTuber MrBeast, have emerged in the contest for TikTok’s future. The ongoing saga continues to unfold as the ultimate fate of the platform hangs in the balance.