- US President Donald Trump has signed an executive action to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days.
- The US Justice Department is being directed against enforcing the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which mandates the ban of TikTok in the US unless sold to American buyers.
On Monday, President Donald Trump of the United States enacted an executive order that postpones the implementation of the TikTok ban for a period of 75 days.
This order instructs the US Department of Justice to refrain from enforcing the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which received significant bipartisan backing in Congress and was enacted in April by former President Joe Biden. According to this legislation, TikTok was set to be prohibited in the United States starting January 19, unless the company was sold to an American buyer or one from an allied nation.
“The unfortunate timing of section 2(a) of the Act — one day before I took office as the 47th President of the United States — interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Act’s prohibitions before they take effect,” Trump’s executive action said.
“This timing also interferes with my ability to negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform while addressing national security concerns.”
The decision indicates that the 75-day postponement will assist the Trump administration in seeking to “determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
Trump told reporters Monda. January 20, that he changed his mind on TikTok because he “got to use it.”
“And remember, TikTok is largely about kids, young kids,” Trump said in the Oval Office when asked what changed his mind. “If China is going to get information about young kids out of it, to be honest, I think we have bigger problems than that.”
He also informed reporters that the action he authorized regarding TikTok granted him the authority to either “sell it or close it.”
“I have the right to either sell it or close it, and we’ll make that determination,” Trump added.
The future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain. It is not clear whether ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, would be inclined to sell the platform, even if a transaction were facilitated by Trump.
On Sunday, TikTok reinstated access for American users, attributing the app’s return to Trump’s influence.
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on January 19.
He further noted that he would not hold TikTok’s technology partners, including Apple, Google, and Oracle, accountable for the continued availability of the app until he formally signed the order.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok,” TikTok said in a statement Sunday. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
