Trump to grant TikTok another extension to avoid US ban

President Donald Trump is expected to grant an additional deadline for TikTok to secure a United States buyer or face a ban, according to NBC News.

On his first day in office, President Trump delayed the app’s ban via executive order. This effectively granted TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, until 5 April to comply with the law.

ByteDance, which had previously insisted it did not intend to sell TikTok, has remained silent regarding whether it is engaged in discussions with potential buyers, and has not publicly confirmed any intention to divest.

TikTok’s future in the United States has remained uncertain since former President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation last year. The decision followed lawmakers’ concerns over national security, particularly the possibility of China gaining access to American users’ data.

The platform challenged the ban, but the Supreme Court upheld the decision in the final days of the Biden administration.

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The app briefly went offline in the United States shortly before President Trump’s inauguration, but service was restored after he signalled a willingness to work with ByteDance to find a resolution.

TikTok currently has over 170 million users in the United States.