Donald Trump has announced he is going to allow TikTok an extra 75 days to comply with US demands or face a complete ban.
A law was passed in April 2024 by former President Biden that mandates ByteDance, the Chinese owners of the social media giant, to sell TikTok, citing national security concerns about foreign control of sensitive data.
An original deadline was set for January 19, on the eve of Trump’s second inauguration, but the new president then opted to sign an extension of 75 days, pushing the cutoff to April 5.
Now, Trump has announced a further 75 days have been added to the deadline, allowing TikTok’s 170million American users to retain access to the app until the middle of June.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.”
Trump linked his stance with the Chinese firm to his recent imposition of tariffs to countries around the world. “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!),” he wrote. “This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark.’ We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal.”
It has been estimated that the consequence of a US TikTok ban could have a significant impact on the music industry. A recent report by the platform claimed that a majority of US and UK chart-topping singles in 2024 were associated with a TikTok trend.
Celebrities including Lizzo and Kesha reacted to the temporary closure of the app at the start of the year, with some referring to it as a “dystopian” moment.
