TikTok saved again as Trump extends ban deadline
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President Trump on Friday announced that he again would delay the ban on TikTok, scheduled for tomorrow, despite not having made a deal with the app's Chinese owner, ByteDance.
Why it matters: TikTok is used by millions of Americans, for both entertainment and livelihoods.
The big picture: Trump successfully brushed off a law passed by Congress, which had required the ban to take effect months earlier, despite bipartisan consensus about national security risks caused by the app's ties to China.
- That legislation, upheld by the Supreme Court, had required that ByteDance divest TikTok by mid-January or else stop operating in the U.S.
- Trump gave ByteDance and TikTok a 75-day extension to April 5 via executive order, even though he didn't have legal authority to do so.
- Now he's extending the ban by another 75 days.
What they're saying: "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 said in Truth Social post.
- "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.!)."
- "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."
Zoom in: Trump would have legal authority to extend the ban if there was a divestiture agreement, even in principle, between ByteDance and U.S. buyers. But that does not yet seem to exist, despite an array of suitors.
- To satisfy the law, Trump would have to ensure China does not have access to the algorithm or U.S. data.
- ByteDance, meanwhile, would almost certainly need sale approval from Beijing. It's possible that tariffs could become a bargaining chip in those negotiations.
The bottom line: TikTok lives to dance another day.
