President Donald Trump announced plans to extend TikTok’s operations in the United States for an additional 90 days, despite existing legal challenges against the popular video-sharing app, which is owned by China’s ByteDance.
Trump shared this development with reporters at the White House, stating, “We’re going to probably make a deal – I think we’ll need China’s blessing on it.”
This announcement follows a recent meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in London, where both sides aimed to revitalize stalled trade negotiations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump would sign an executive order this week to keep TikTok available, asserting that efforts would be made to finalize a deal within the extension period.
“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” Leavitt reiterated.
This latest reprieve marks the third time Trump has intervened to safeguard the app since assuming the presidency.
Originally, Congress passed a law prohibiting TikTok due to national security concerns, with bipartisan support. Lawmakers feared the app could serve as a tool for spying or influencing American users. Despite TikTok’s vigorous legal battle to overturn the ban, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the law.
The ban was scheduled to take effect on January 19, 2025, just one day before Trump’s assumption of office. TikTok preemptively removed itself from app stores on January 18, only to have Trump promise to pause the enforcement of the ban later that night, allowing it to return online the next day.
On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban’s enforcement by 75 days while also offering protection to tech companies like Apple and Google that provide services for TikTok.
As the new deadline approached in April, indications suggested a potential agreement that would give a consortium of U.S. companies a majority stake in TikTok, enabling them to license the app’s algorithm. However, negotiations fell apart when Trump imposed high tariffs on China and dismissed key National Security Council officials involved in the deal. Consequently, he granted TikTok another reprieve, extending it by 75 days and pushing the deadline to June 19.
Legal experts have raised concerns about Trump’s repeated extensions, arguing that his actions may violate the law prohibiting TikTok unless certain conditions are satisfied, such as certifying divestiture from ByteDance.
Ryan Calo, a law professor at the University of Washington, noted, “This president is not operating within Congress’s intent. It sets a bad precedent, wherein the president feels like he can simply ignore a congressional statute.”
The White House did not provide immediate clarification regarding the legal grounds for Trump’s extensions.
In response to inquiries about his legal authority to extend TikTok’s reprieve, Trump confidently stated, “Yeah, sure. Yeah, we do.”
Despite the ongoing legal uncertainties, assurances from Trump’s administration have allowed TikTok to remain operational. Both Apple and Google re-listed TikTok in their app stores in February.
Calo cautioned that companies supporting TikTok are risking potential violations of the law. He explained, “Every company that helps bring TikTok to Americans is technically violating an act of Congress right now and has been for months.”
Calo noted, “They’re taking a risk by continuing to support TikTok on the strength of this president’s commitment that he’s not going to prosecute, because it doesn’t say that people that are helping TikTok are off the hook.”
Trump’s executive order from January reassured that the Justice Department would take no actions against TikTok or any entities that assist it. However, Calo pointed out that no guarantees exist for those helping TikTok.
Apple and Google did not respond to requests for comments regarding Trump’s recent reprieves for TikTok.
The ongoing situation underscores the complexities surrounding TikTok’s status in the United States and the interplay of international relations, national security concerns, and legal frameworks. Trump’s decision to extend TikTok’s operational window reflects his continued interest in balancing these elements while navigating the legal landscape addressed by Congress.
image source from：npr
