TikTok users received a brief reprieve as Donald Trump, inaugurated today for a second term as U.S. President, announced a delay in the ban on the popular video-sharing platform.
This move follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding the law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest ownership or face a nationwide shutdown over national security concerns.
Many Americans woke up Sunday to find a pop-up message stating:
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
The ban came after ByteDance failed to secure a buyer by the January 19 deadline, sparking fears that user data could be exploited by Chinese intelligence for influence and misinformation.
However, Trump, addressing the nation on Truth Social, promised swift action.
“I will issue an executive order on Monday extending the deadline for ByteDance,” Trump said, adding that no company would face liability for helping prevent TikTok from going dark.
Trump outlined a plan for a joint venture giving the U.S. a 50% ownership stake, declaring that this partnership would protect national security while enhancing TikTok’s value.
“With U.S. approval, TikTok is worth hundreds of billions—maybe trillions,” Trump stated, emphasizing that without government approval, the platform cannot operate in America.
The extension will allow negotiations to resume, offering a potential path forward for TikTok’s continued operation under new ownership terms.
