Trump To Extend U.S. TikTok Ban Deadline, White House Says

TikTok will remain available in the U.S. for at least another three months, as President Donald Trump is set to extend the sale-or-ban deadline for the third time since taking office this year, Lily Jamali reported for BBC News.

TikTok was initially slated for a U.S. ban after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, missed a January deadline to sell to a U.S. buyer. I Photo: TikTok

“President Trump will sign an additional executive order this week to keep TikTok up and running,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

The popular video-sharing app was initially slated for a U.S. ban after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, missed a January deadline to sell to a U.S. buyer.

Leavitt said the 90-day extension would "ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure."

Before the announcement, Trump told the BBC he would "probably" extend the deadline. “We’ll probably have to get China’s approval,” he said. “I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”

When asked about the legal basis for the extension, Trump replied: “We do.”

The move places Trump at odds with Congress, which passed the sale-or-ban measure last year. President Joe Biden had signed the bill into law before leaving office.

The legislation aimed to address concerns that TikTok, which has 170 million American users, could be exploited by China for surveillance or political manipulation.

The Supreme Court upheld the law in January, just before Trump returned to the presidency. The platform briefly went offline during inauguration weekend. Last year, Trump expressed support for TikTok, crediting it with helping him win over young voters.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points,” he said in December, though most young voters supported Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.