President Donald Trump signed an executive order to further delay the TikTok ban in the U.S.
In a statement shared hours after he was sworn in on Monday, Jan. 20, Trump announced he was giving TikTok 75 more days before a law banning the social media platform in the U.S. would take effect.
The law, formally titled The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act “regulates “foreign adversary controlled applications,” specifically those operated by TikTok and any other subsidiary of its China-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., on national security grounds.”
Trump said in his statement that postponing the ban would give his administration the chance to protect national security “while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
The politician, 78, announced on Jan. 19 that he intended to issue an executive order to stall TikTok’s federal ban and keep it running after having initially revealed a plan to ban the social media app from operating in the country during his first term in office in April 2020.
His executive order at the time barred “any transaction” with ByteDance for 45 days, with the president citing growing security concerns and a pattern of censorship. “These risks are real,” Trump said nearly four years ago in the decision that left TikTok “shocked.”
Before Trump took the oath of office for his second term, he wrote on Truth Social that he would “issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
“The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” he wrote. “Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.”
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Trump also shared an “initial thought” of the U.S. having 50% ownership in TikTok via a “joint venture,” between the app’s “current owners and/or new owners.”
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to [stay] up,” he wrote.
Trump previously had a phone interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, during which he also teased a potential 90-day extension for TikTok to have its parent company, based in China, sell the platform to a non-Chinese-buyer after he took office.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at,” he said. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.”
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TikTok was temporarily taken down in the U.S. on Jan. 18, a few hours before the law banning the app was set to go into effect. At the time, users who opened the app were greeted with a pop-up message that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the message continued.
The pop-up then referenced Trump’s previous comments: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
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TikTok restored service in the country less than 24 hours later.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the company wrote in an official statement via X.
“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” the statement continued. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
The Supreme Court previously ruled on Jan. 17 that the law forcing TikTok to cease U.S. operations if it didn’t divest from Chinese ownership was constitutional, following the legislation being passed by Congress and signed by Joe Biden last year.
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