President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended the TikTok ban in the United States for 75 days. This decision follows an executive order he signed shortly after his inauguration, allowing the Chinese-owned platform more time to negotiate a sale to American interests. The U.S. Supreme Court had previously upheld a congressional law mandating ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the platform by January 19th, or face removal from major app stores.
Concerns from U.S. authorities center around allegations that ByteDance could be using TikTok to spy on users for the Chinese government. The Chinese company, supported by Beijing, has strongly opposed the sale, labeling the law as a form of legal expropriation. Despite these tensions, the law permits a delay of up to 90 days for negotiations, provided there are indications of progress.
TikTok boasts approximately 170 million users in the U.S., making its potential disappearance from app stores a significant issue. In anticipation of the ban, TikTok temporarily halted its services but resumed them following Trump’s announcement.
Trump aims for the platform to eventually be half-owned by U.S. stakeholders, emphasizing a focus on national security while seeking to keep TikTok operational within the U.S. market. The executive order also directs the Department of Justice not to enforce the penalties set out by the law for the duration of this 75-day period, giving ByteDance more time to consider its options. Meanwhile, concerns about user data security and manipulation of public opinion remain at the forefront of this ongoing international dispute.
