The TikTok logo appears on an iPhone screen in Houston on Friday, January 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order giving TikTok another 75 days to operate in the United States, aiming to give his administration more time to finalize a deal that could place the app under American control. The move comes after weeks of discussions involving investors, U.S. officials, and ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok.
Sources say negotiations had been close to wrapping up. A plan was in motion to turn TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new American-owned company. ByteDance would keep a minority stake, while American investors would control the majority. The proposal had reportedly gained support from investors, ByteDance, and the U.S. government alike.
But momentum stalled suddenly on Thursday. Just after Trump announced sweeping tariffs—including some targeting China—ByteDance reached out to the White House to pull back from the deal. According to insiders, Chinese officials are now hesitant to approve the agreement unless wider trade talks, including tariff negotiations, are addressed first.
Under a law passed by Congress, TikTok was supposed to be banned in the U.S. by January 19 if it remained under Chinese ownership. That deadline has passed. Trump, however, has twice delayed enforcement by using executive authority—first earlier this year and now again with this new 75-day reprieve. He claims the deal is still within reach.
“We’ve made great progress on a deal to save TikTok,” Trump said on his social media platform. “But more work is needed, so I’m signing this order to give it a little more time.”
ByteDance, for its part, confirmed it’s still in talks with the U.S. government but admitted that no final agreement has been signed. “There are still key issues to resolve,” a spokesperson said, adding that any deal will also need approval under Chinese law.
TikTok, with offices in Singapore and Los Angeles, has insisted it does not share user data with the Chinese government. China’s foreign ministry has echoed that stance, saying its companies are not asked to hand over foreign data.
Still, critics worry that keeping TikTok’s algorithm under ByteDance control poses a security threat. Chris Pierson, CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackCloak, said that if ByteDance still runs the algorithm, the risk remains.
“The heart of this issue is who controls the data and the algorithm,” said Pierson. “If ByteDance still holds that power, then the concerns haven’t really changed.”
Legal experts note that Trump’s move doesn’t technically extend the law’s deadline. Instead, it's a personal decision not to enforce it—for now. Alan Rozenshtein, a law professor, said, “He’s not changing the law. He’s just choosing not to act on it.”
Meanwhile, TikTok users and creators are stuck in limbo again. A Pew Research survey shows that public opinion on banning the app is now split—only one-third of Americans currently support a ban, down from half in early 2023.
Content creators like Terrell Wade, who has over 1.5 million TikTok followers, are frustrated. “I’m glad there’s an extension, but it’s exhausting,” he said. “Every time a deadline rolls around, it feels like noise more than a real threat.”
Wade is now building his audience on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. “I just want clarity,” he added. “So we can all move on from the constant guessing game.”
