ByteDance’s deadline to transfer TikTok’s US operations will be extended by 90 days by US President Donald Trump, resulting in the most recent deadline being set for mid-September.
On Tuesday (June 17), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement to numerous news outlets in which she stated, “President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to ensure the continued operation of TikTok.”.
“President Trump has repeatedly stated that he does not wish for TikTok to become inaccessible.” This 90-day extension will be used by the Administration to ensure that the agreement is finalized, thereby allowing the American public to continue using TikTok with the confidence that their data is secure.
READ MORE: Trump Alludes To A TikTok Deadline Extension
The action represents the third extension since Trump assumed office in January, thereby extending the Biden administration’s mandate that ByteDance must divest its TikTok operations in the United States in order to avoid being shut down by January 19.
“In order to maintain the functionality of TikTok, President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
The Supreme Court sustained the law on January 18, resulting in TikTok going offline for more than 170 million US users ahead of the initial deadline. In order to adhere to the law, Google and Apple also removed TikTok from their respective app stores.
Nevertheless, TikTok’s service was restored on January 19th, less than 24 hours after it was suspended, following the provision of “necessary clarity and assurances” to its service providers by Trump. Trump was sworn in as president the following day.
On Tuesday, Trump reported to reporters on Air Force One that he anticipated extending the deadline once more, according to Reuters.
According to reports, Trump responded, “Probably, yeah…” when asked about the possibility of extending the deadline. It is probable that we will require sanction from China; however, I am optimistic that we will obtain it. I believe that President Xi [Jinping] will ultimately sanction it.
Last month, the United States and China reached a 90-day truce in their trade conflict, which will provide TikTok with additional time to negotiate a final agreement. Trump stated earlier this month that he and Xi had “a very good conversation.”
“The Administration will dedicate the next 90 days to the completion of this agreement, ensuring that the American public can continue to utilize TikTok with the confidence that their data is secure.”
Following the two leaders’ call, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which it stated, “The United States should recognize the progress that has already been achieved and eliminate the detrimental measures that have been implemented against China.”
The United States and China recently engaged in high-level trade negotiations in London. Trump declared that the US-China trade truce had been successfully revived.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “We are receiving a total of 55% tariffs, while China is receiving 10%.”
The U.S. law mandating that TikTok either transfer its US operations or face a ban has piqued the interest of numerous potential buyers. According to reports, a group consisting of billionaire Frank McCourt and Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, as well as Amazon and Oracle, are reportedly in the running. Tim Stokely, the founder of OnlyFans, has also entered the fray with his new venture, Zoop.
Trump had previously expressed interest in the possibility of Elon Musk acquiring the platform. Nevertheless, Musk refuted that rumor in February, stating, “I have not submitted a bid for TikTok.” I have no specific intentions for what I would do if I were to acquire TikTok.
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