President Donald Trump has once again delayed the enforcement of the controversial “sale-or-ban” law targeting TikTok, granting the popular video-sharing app a fresh 90-day extension to continue operating in the United States.
The decision was confirmed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said in a statement:
“President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running. As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”
This latest move marks the third time President Trump has delayed enforcement of the law that was originally passed with bipartisan support last year under President Joe Biden. The legislation, which went into effect on January 19, requires TikTok to either be sold to an American entity or face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns surrounding its Chinese ownership by parent company ByteDance.
While TikTok experienced a short 14-hour blackout earlier this year, the app has largely remained available to its 170 million U.S. users due to repeated extensions granted by Trump. The administration has framed these delays as necessary breathing room to secure a deal that would place TikTok’s U.S. operations under American control.
A previous deal that would have transferred majority ownership of TikTok U.S. to American investors nearly reached completion in April. However, negotiations collapsed after Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting yet another delay. ByteDance later confirmed that further progress was hindered by Chinese regulatory restrictions, especially around the transfer of TikTok’s proprietary algorithm — the heart of the app’s addictive experience.
The current extension comes just ahead of the June 19 deadline, and against a backdrop of renewed cooperation between the U.S. and China. The two powers recently agreed on a framework to ease export controls, potentially clearing the path for a TikTok deal — though no confirmation has been made whether the app is explicitly part of that framework.
Trump, speaking to reporters Tuesday, expressed confidence in the likelihood of Chinese approval:
“I think President Xi will ultimately approve it, yes.”
Several high-profile bidders are reportedly still in play, including groups led by Amazon, AI company Perplexity, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, and content creator MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson). The proposed structure of the deal would allow ByteDance to retain a 20% stake in a newly formed U.S.-based entity, in line with the legal stipulations.
Trump’s decision to extend TikTok’s lifespan once again underscores how the app has evolved from a political flashpoint into a potential diplomatic lever — and a multi-billion-dollar tech asset too valuable to ban outright.
Source: Reported by CNN
This latest extension reflects the complex interplay between politics, national security, and economics in the tech world. Trump’s strategy suggests a preference for control over prohibition, allowing room for negotiation with both corporate and geopolitical actors. The fact that TikTok remains operational hints at how deeply embedded the platform has become in U.S. culture — and how difficult it is to simply “shut it down.” The coming months will reveal whether a long-term solution is found, or if TikTok will continue operating in legal limbo.