Trump Extends TikTok Deadline as China Pauses Deal Over Tariffs
President Trump just hit pause on the TikTok ban again. On Friday, he signed an executive order giving TikTok another 75 days to operate in the U.S., hoping it’ll buy more time to seal a deal that brings the app under American ownership.
The move came right as things were looking promising U.S. officials were reportedly close to finalizing a plan to spin TikTok into a U.S.-based company, mostly owned by American investors, with China’s ByteDance holding a minority stake. But the day before, China pulled back after Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, including ones aimed at China. ByteDance let the White House know that without trade talks, the TikTok deal would have to wait.
Originally, TikTok had until January 19 to split from its Chinese parent company or face a ban over national security concerns. That deadline came and went, but Trump has now delayed enforcement twice. ByteDance still owns the platform and its algorithm, and that’s a sticking point for critics who say nothing really changes if ByteDance still controls user data.
Despite the drama, Trump remains optimistic. “We’ve made big progress,” he said on his social platform, adding that more work was needed to finalize approvals hence the 75-day extension.
ByteDance confirmed it’s been in talks with the U.S., but said no agreement has been finalized and any deal still needs China’s green light. TikTok, meanwhile, says it prioritizes user safety and denies sharing data with the Chinese government.
Legal experts argue that Trump isn’t really “extending” anything he’s just choosing not to enforce the law for now. Others worry it sets a bad precedent for ignoring congressional decisions.
On the ground, TikTok creators are exhausted by the constant back-and-forth. Some are trying to grow audiences on other platforms just in case the ban really happens. As one creator put it: “Every time a new deadline comes up, it just feels like background noise.”
For now, the clock’s ticking again.
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