Trump Signs Executive Order Delaying TikTok Ban \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to extend TikTok’s U.S. operations by 75 days, aiming to finalize a deal for American ownership. The move delays a congressionally mandated ban and raises concerns about national security and legal overreach.
Trump Delays TikTok Ban to Secure U.S. Ownership Deal Quick Looks
- Trump signs executive order extending TikTok’s U.S. operations by 75 days
- The move delays a bipartisan law requiring ByteDance to divest by Jan. 19
- Trump cites progress on deal but says “more work” is needed
- ByteDance confirms ongoing talks but no agreement finalized
- Critics warn national security concerns remain with ByteDance in control
- Cyber experts say algorithm and data must be under U.S. control
- Legal scholars say Trump’s move violates the enforcement law
- Public opinion on a TikTok ban is increasingly divided
- Creators welcome the delay but call the process “exhausting”
- TikTok says user data safety remains a top priority
Deep Look
President Donald Trump on Friday moved to extend TikTok’s operations in the United States by 75 days, signing a last-minute executive order that delays enforcement of a congressionally mandated ban on the popular Chinese-owned social media platform. The extension aims to allow more time for negotiations to bring TikTok under American ownership, amid persistent national security concerns and rising public confusion.
Trump announced the move from Mar-a-Lago, posting on Truth Social that his administration had made “tremendous progress” in brokering a deal to “SAVE TIKTOK.” But, he noted, more approvals and negotiations were still necessary.
“The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” Trump said.
The decision effectively overrides the January 19 deadline passed by Congress in 2024, which required TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face a complete ban on national security grounds. That law had received bipartisan support and was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court.
This is Trump’s second delay of the ban in under two months, raising new legal and political questions about the administration’s enforcement of congressional mandates.
ByteDance Pushes Back, Talks Continue
ByteDance confirmed that discussions are ongoing but emphasized that no deal has been signed and that any final agreement would require approval from Chinese regulators.
“There are key matters to be resolved,” a ByteDance spokesperson said. “Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law.”
While TikTok is headquartered in Singapore and Los Angeles, its core algorithm remains under ByteDance’s control, a sticking point for both U.S. regulators and cybersecurity experts.
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its stance that Chinese companies are not required to share foreign data with the Chinese government, but U.S. intelligence officials remain skeptical.
Security Experts Sound the Alarm
Cybersecurity professionals warn that as long as ByteDance retains control of TikTok’s data and algorithm, the national security concerns remain unresolved.
“If the algorithm is still controlled by ByteDance, it’s still controlled by a company in a foreign, adversarial nation-state,” said Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak and former DHS cybersecurity advisor.
“The main reason for all this is the control of data. If neither that nor the algorithm changes, the risks haven’t changed either.”
Legal and Political Backlash
While the extension has been met with little legal resistance, some constitutional scholars argue that Trump’s order violates the law, which permits only a single 90-day reprieve, contingent on an active agreement and formal notification to Congress.
“He’s not extending anything. He’s simply refusing to enforce the law,” said Alan Rozenshtein, a University of Minnesota law professor.
“The law is still in effect. The companies providing services to TikTok are still violating it.”
This raises broader concerns about presidential authority and precedent, particularly the message it sends about choosing not to enforce congressional mandates.
Mixed Public Opinion, Creator Fatigue
A recent Pew Research Center poll revealed an increasingly divided public. Support for banning TikTok dropped to around one-third, down from 50% in 2023. About one-third oppose a ban, and the rest are unsure.
Among supporters of a ban, 80% cited user data risks as their top concern.
For TikTok creators, however, the constant uncertainty is both exhausting and damaging to business.
“Every time a new deadline pops up, it starts to feel like background noise,” said Terrell Wade, known as @TheWadeEmpire to his 1.5 million followers. “I’m glad there’s an extension, but I just want clarity.”
Wade, like many other creators, has begun diversifying to other platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, wary of being blindsided by a sudden ban.
Meanwhile, Vitus Spehar, who runs the popular news account @UndertheDeskNews, expressed concern about the precedent Trump’s order sets:
“I benefit from the extension, but I’m worried about what it means when a president tells the DOJ not to enforce a law.”
Spehar called for a permanent legislative solution to the issue rather than relying on executive actions and temporary delays.
What Comes Next?
The outlook remains murky. Trump says negotiations with TikTok and interested U.S. buyers are ongoing. On Friday, he claimed that Vietnam had offered to lower its tariffs to zero if a trade deal with the U.S. is reached—possibly as a sign of broader economic leverage.
But as long as ByteDance controls the algorithm, the core national security concern remains unaddressed. If the deal falls through and enforcement resumes after 75 days, TikTok could face a full ban, throwing creators, users, and investors into further disarray.
For now, the clock is ticking—again.
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