To the surprise of many on April 4, Donald Trump announced yet another extension. This will provide TikTok with an additional 75 days of continued operation in the United States. This decision is due in part to the continued outrage over the protection of user data. The Chinese-owned social media app was recently threatened with a nationwide ban after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration to ban it.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year led to app stores and service providers withdrawing support for TikTok, placing the platform’s operations in jeopardy. Yet in response to these developments, Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban. Along with the review, he initiated talks for a potential settlement under which ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent, would sell off TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The extension currently in effect, granted in April, was to expire this Thursday, June 19. Trump is reportedly planning to announce another 90-day extension this week. This step is part of efforts on both sides to ensure American users can continue to access TikTok. This extra time period is meant to help with negotiations between TikTok and the US government on a potential divestiture and do more to protect user data.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the forthcoming Executive Order, stating, “President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running.” She reaffirmed that the administration does still want to make sure that American users are able to safely use that platform going forward.
“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to 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.”
As seen through TikTok’s powerful rebound on U.S. app stores, it isn’t. This long-awaited development comes as welcome relief to everyone who uses TNCs. We are in continued negotiations with ByteDance to construct a robust framework. This framework will both safeguard user data and address the national security issues raised by the U.S. administration.
The case against TikTok’s long-term future just got stronger. The legal ramifications underscore the extent to which the June Supreme Court ruling laid the groundwork for such a ban. Negotiations are ongoing in this latest 90-day extension—the first one since the midterm elections. At this point, we simply don’t know which way the wind will blow or if a palatable settlement can be achieved.
