U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that delays the enforcement of a TikTok ban by 75 days, pushing the scheduled shutdown, originally set for January 19, to a later date. This order aims to give the administration more time to assess the situation and determine the next steps regarding the popular short video app.
Under the order, the Attorney General is instructed not to enforce the ban, giving the government time to review its approach. The Department of Justice is also directed to inform major companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle—entities that work with TikTok—that no violations of the law have occurred during the interim period and that no liabilities are attached to actions taken in that time.
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App Shutdown For 14 Hours
TikTok, which has become an integral part of the social media landscape, faced a brief shutdown of around 14 hours over the weekend but resumed operations on Sunday afternoon. The shutdown came as a result of the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was signed by former President Joe Biden in April. The law mandates that TikTok be banned in the U.S. starting January 19 unless it is sold to an American or allied buyer.
Trump addressed the timing of the law, saying that the new regulations, coming just one day before his inauguration as the 47th president, presented challenges in terms of evaluating their national security implications. He mentioned that the timing interfered with his ability to fully assess the situation before the law took effect.
TikTok’s Response And Next Steps
TikTok responded to the developments by expressing gratitude for the clarity provided by Trump and pledging to work with his administration on finding a long-term solution to keep the app in the U.S. On Sunday, TikTok assured users that services were being restored.
Trump, who had previously supported a TikTok ban, pledged to delay the implementation of the law and create more space for a potential deal. However, the situation remains fluid, with the future of TikTok in the U.S. still uncertain.
Timeline Of The TikTok Ban Efforts
The saga began during Trump’s first term, when he issued an executive order seeking to ban TikTok, citing concerns over data security and the app’s potential to allow the Chinese government to access American users’ personal information. The administration expressed fears about espionage and the potential misuse of user data.
In 2024, President Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which garnered strong bipartisan support in Congress. The law stipulated that TikTok would be banned unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold the app to an American or allied company.
TikTok, however, did not accept this mandate quietly. The company filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, arguing that the ban violated users’ First Amendment rights.
Trump’s Options Moving Forward
Although the executive order has delayed the ban, Trump could still face political hurdles. Some Republican senators, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, have expressed opposition to any extension of the ban.
Now, the only viable options are either for ByteDance to sell TikTok to a new buyer or for Congress to pass a new law reversing the existing ban. However, ByteDance has previously stated that it has no intention of selling the app, and given the broad bipartisan support the initial bill received, a legislative reversal seems highly unlikely.
The fate of TikTok in the U.S. remains up in the air, with Trump’s next steps eagerly awaited by the millions of users and stakeholders involved.
