President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for TikTok’s owners to sell the app to non-Chinese entities or face a potential ban in the United States.

In an executive order issued on Friday, Trump granted an additional 75 days for the transaction to take place. This marks a continuation of the delay, following a January extension of a deadline initially set by a US law passed last year.

Trump shared on his Truth Social platform that his administration has made significant progress in securing a deal to "SAVE TIKTOK," but emphasized that further work is needed to finalize the necessary approvals.

The law, passed with bipartisan support in 2024, demands that TikTok be divested from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, due to concerns over data privacy and national security risks. 

The US Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the national security interests took precedence over free speech concerns, allowing the law to remain in place.

Upon taking office, Trump signed an executive order to pause the ban, stating that the delay would provide time for a "careful approach" to protecting national security while avoiding disruption to the millions of Americans who use the platform.

While numerous US companies have shown interest in acquiring TikTok, ByteDance has maintained that it has no intention of selling the app. 

Reports suggest that a possible solution could involve increasing stakes by the largest non-Chinese investors in ByteDance and forming a new US entity for TikTok to comply with US regulations.

TikTok, headquartered in Singapore and Los Angeles, has emphasized its commitment to user safety, and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied any government involvement in data collection for foreign entities.

ByteDance confirmed ongoing discussions with the US government, but noted that several key issues remain unresolved.

Source: Al Jazeera 

BDST: 1234 HRS, APR 05, 2025
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