Washington, DC – President Donald Trump has issued a new executive order granting an additional 90-day extension to China-based ByteDance to divest its US operations of the popular video-sharing app TikTok, temporarily averting a mandated ban.
“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days — [until] September 17, 2025,” President Trump wrote Thursday on his social platform, Truth Social.
The extension delays enforcement of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed in April 2024, which required TikTok to be sold or shut down in the US by January 19 of this year. Although the law was upheld by the Supreme Court, Trump has now extended the deadline for the third time since taking office for a second term in January.
TikTok Responds
In a statement, TikTok expressed appreciation for the latest extension:
“We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million US businesses that rely on the platform,” the company said, adding it is continuing negotiations with Vice President JD Vance’s office.
Vance has taken a lead role in discussions between the White House and ByteDance.
Legal and Political Challenges
Critics of the move, particularly Democratic lawmakers, argue that Trump lacks the legal authority to keep postponing the mandate and warn that the rumored sale structure under consideration may not fulfill statutory requirements.
Nevertheless, the White House defended the decision, emphasizing the need to finalize the sale with sufficient safeguards for national security.
“President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday. “This administration will spend the next three months ensuring the sale closes so Americans can continue using TikTok safely.”
Deal in Limbo
Negotiations had been underway earlier this year to create a new US-based entity that would own and operate TikTok’s American assets, with majority US investor control. That plan was suspended after Beijing said it would not approve a sale amid continued US tariff threats.
In March, President Trump suggested he may be open to reducing tariffs on China if ByteDance cooperates on a sale.
TikTok’s Vast US Reach
TikTok remains a cultural and commercial juggernaut in the US, particularly among young Americans. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in December 2024:
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33% of all US adults use TikTok.
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59% of adults under 30 use the platform.
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Among teens, the usage climbs to 67%.
The platform is also increasingly vital to small businesses, influencers, and content creators, many of whom have urged the administration to avoid a ban.
What’s Next?
While the extension buys more time for a potential deal, the White House made clear that the sale must show significant progress or the app could still face a shutdown in the US.
“Absent meaningful steps toward a sale, TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain,” said Leavitt.
The formal deadline is now September 17, 2025 — but given the geopolitical and economic stakes, all eyes remain on Washington and Beijing as negotiations continue.
