Trump says he signed executive order extending deadline for TikTok closing
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jun 19) extended a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok, giving the company until Sep 17 to complete a sale or face a ban.
The extension, granted via executive order, marks the third time Trump has delayed enforcement of a 2024 law that mandated the sale or shutdown of the popular short-video app. The law, passed amid rising US-China tensions, originally required TikTok to divest by Jan 19 unless there was significant progress toward a sale.
"President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "The administration will spend the next three months making sure the sale closes so that Americans can keep using TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure."
TikTok welcomed the decision. "We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available," the company said in a statement. It added that it was working closely with Vice President JD Vance's office.
Trump, who credits the app with helping him connect with young voters during the 2024 election, has said he wants to keep TikTok operational in the US. On Tuesday, he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he would "probably" extend the deadline and expressed confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping would ultimately approve a deal.
In March, Trump said he was willing to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to facilitate a deal. A plan to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new, American-controlled company was reportedly in progress earlier this year, but talks stalled after Beijing signaled disapproval over the US tariff hikes.
The ByteDance-owned app, used by 170 million Americans, has been at the centre of a broader geopolitical standoff between Washington and Beijing. US lawmakers have long raised concerns over data security and potential Chinese government influence on the platform.
Some Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether Trump has legal authority to extend the deadline, and say any deal must fully comply with the 2024 legislation.
Trump first postponed the deadline to early April, and then again to Jun 19. Thursday's move gives TikTok and its potential buyers another 90 days to finalise an agreement that would allow the app to continue operating in the US under American ownership.
