President Donald Trump has announced an executive order to extend TikTok’s operation in the US for an additional 75 days, allowing time for negotiations aimed at bringing the popular social media platform under American ownership. Originally, Congress mandated that TikTok must be divested from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19 or face a ban due to national security concerns. However, Trump has unilaterally extended this deadline to facilitate ongoing discussions for a deal.
Despite the array of proposals from US companies interested in acquiring parts of TikTok, ByteDance has firmly maintained that the platform is not for sale. Trump, through his social media, expressed optimism about the progress his administration has made in working to secure TikTok’s future, mentioning that more approvals are needed to finalise the potential agreement.
A ByteDance spokesperson has confirmed the ongoing discussions with the US government but emphasised that no formal agreement has been reached yet, highlighting that any deal must comply with Chinese law. TikTok prioritises user safety from its bases in Singapore and Los Angeles, while China’s government has denied any requests for data from foreign firms.
Trump’s extension marks a repeat of his previous actions, temporarily blocking the 2024 law that would prohibit TikTok after Deadline passed for ByteDance to divest. This latest order has led to ongoing debates among experts regarding national security implications, particularly if control of TikTok’s algorithm remains with ByteDance.
Cybersecurity expert Chris Pierson noted that if ByteDance retains algorithm control, the national security issues would not substantially change. Similarly, legal expert Alan Rozenshtein argues that Trump’s order to delay enforcement simply represents a unilateral decision, meaning the underlying law remains active and TikTok’s national security risks continue unchanged.
Public sentiment surrounding TikTok remains divided; a recent Pew Research Center survey indicates a decline in support for a ban from 50% to about one-third of Americans, with concerns over user data security being a primary factor for those in favour of the ban. Meanwhile, TikTok content creators express frustration at the uncertainty surrounding the platform’s future. Comedian Terrell Wade, who has a significant following on TikTok, voiced his exhaustion over the ongoing threat of a ban and the constant need to adapt his presence across various platforms.
As the situation develops, both users and creators are eager for clarity, hoping to divert their focus back to content creation rather than the looming ‘what ifs’ associated with TikTok’s operational stability.