trump Delays TikTok Ban Again Amid Trade Talks

Updated June 18, 2025

President Trump announced⁢ another delay to the potential ban ⁢of TikTok in the U.S., five months after ⁤a federal law mandated its separation from its Chinese parent‌ company, ByteDance. The popular short video app, TikTok, faces ‌national security concerns over its ⁤data handling.

“We’ll be extending​ it,” Trump told reporters⁢ at the White House on Wednesday. “We’re going to probably make a deal – I think ⁤we’ll need China’s blessing on it.”

White House press secretary karoline Leavitt said Trump plans to sign an executive order this week granting TikTok a‌ 90-day extension to allow time to finalize a deal.

“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” Leavitt said.

The promise of a reprieve follows high-level discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials in London last week, where both sides reportedly agreed to a‍ framework to revive stalled ⁤trade negotiations. The future of TikTok and U.S. – China trade relations are now‍ intertwined.

TikTok has not yet‍ commented.

This marks Trump’s third intervention on behalf of the app since taking office. the TikTok ban has been a contentious issue.

Congress passed a law last‌ year with ‍bipartisan support, demanding that TikTok, used by over half of Americans, be independent of its Chinese ownership. Lawmakers fear the app could be used to spy on or influence American users. Despite TikTok’s legal challenges, the Supreme Court upheld the law.

The ban was initially scheduled for January 19, 2025, the day‍ before⁤ trump’s inauguration. TikTok briefly went offline on January⁢ 18 but⁢ returned after Trump promised to pause enforcement. ⁣The TikTok ban ⁣has been controversial.

On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive order⁣ delaying the ban by 75 days and offering immunity⁤ to tech companies like Apple and Google that host the ​app. The TikTok ban has faced numerous delays.

in April, a potential deal involving a U.S. consortium acquiring a majority stake and licensing TikTok’s algorithm fell apart after Trump imposed tariffs on ⁢China and dismissed officials involved in⁤ the deal. Another 75-day extension was granted, set​ to expire on June 19.

Some⁢ legal experts argue that Trump’s repeated​ delays violate ⁤the law banning TikTok, which allows ​only one 90-day extension under specific conditions, such as certifying progress toward divestiture from ByteDance. The ⁢TikTok ban has raised legal questions.

Ryan Calo, ⁢a⁢ University of Washington law professor, said Trump’s actions‌ circumvent Congress’s intent. “This president is not operating within Congress’s intent,” he said. “It sets⁣ a bad precedent, wherein the president feels like he can simply ignore a congressional statute.”

The White House ⁤has not responded to requests for comment on the legal basis for the extensions.

Trump maintains he is acting within ‍the law. When ⁣asked about the legal basis for the extension, Trump told reporters, “Yeah,​ sure. Yeah, we do.”

Trump’s assurances have⁢ allowed TikTok to remain online. Apple and Google restored TikTok to their app stores in February. The TikTok ban has been avoided so far.

Calo notes that companies supporting TikTok risk violating an act of Congress. “Every company that helps bring TikTok ⁣to Americans is technically violating an act of​ Congress right now and has been ⁢for months,” he said.

“They’re taking a risk by‍ continuing to support ⁣TikTok on the strength of this president’s commitment that he’s not going to prosecute, as it doesn’t say that, you know, people that are helping​ TikTok are off the hook,”⁣ Calo said. Although Trump’s January executive order states the Justice Department “shall​ take no action” to enforce the ban, “There are zero guarantees.”

Apple and Google have not commented on Trump’s reprieves for TikTok.

Apple and Google are financial supporters ​of NPR.

What’s⁢ next

The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as the new 90-day extension begins. Negotiations between the ​U.S. and China, along with potential deals involving U.S. companies, will determine whether TikTok can continue operating in the country or face a ban.