President Trump Grants TikTok 75-Day Extension Amid Ongoing Negotiations
On April 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending TikTok’s operations in the United States for an additional 75 days. This extension aims to provide more time to finalize a deal that would transfer the platform’s ownership to an American entity.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), enacted in 2024, mandated that TikTok divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19, 2025, due to national security concerns.
While the Supreme Court upheld this law, ByteDance did not meet the divestiture deadline, leading to TikTok’s brief suspension in the U.S.
Upon resuming office, President Trump issued an executive order on January 20, 2025, pausing the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days to facilitate negotiations for a potential sale to U.S. investors. This initial extension expired on April 4, prompting the President to grant the current 75-day extension.
President Trump posted this on his social media:
He said:
My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress.
Hinting at forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok to a USA-based owner, he further added:
The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days. We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!). This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security!
He showed his commitment to not let the social media app get banned by saying:
According to WSJ, several American companies, including Oracle, Blackstone, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz, have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. Amazon and AppLovin also submitted bids. The proposed deals involve transferring TikTok’s data management and software updates to U.S. control to address security concerns.We do not want TikTok to "go dark." We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Despite these negotiations, ByteDance has maintained that TikTok is not for sale. Critics, such as cybersecurity expert Chris Pierson, argue that retaining ByteDance’s control over TikTok’s algorithm leaves national security risks unresolved.
Public opinion on TikTok’s presence in the U.S. has shifted. A Pew Research Center survey indicates that only about one-third of Americans now support a ban, with data security being the primary concern.
As negotiations continue, the 75-day extension offers a window to reach an agreement that addresses national security concerns while allowing TikTok to operate in the U.S. The situation remains fluid, with further developments anticipated in the coming weeks.
