TikTok/Unsplash: bmowinkelPresident Trump has signed a third executive order that extends TikTok’s divest-or-ban deadline to September 2025. Here’s what you need to know.
President Joe Biden signed a bill back in April 2024 that requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell off its shares of the short-form video app within nine months – or face a ban in the United States.
TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew quickly responded, claiming the bill violates US citizens’ right to freedom of speech, and has attempted to prevent the bill from being enacted ever since.
The company’s first attempt at postponing the law was denied by the US Appeals Court in early December, leaving many worried that the ban would be enacted after the nine-month divestment period.
Was TikTok banned in the US?
The law banning TikTok in the US took effect on January 19, 2025, and has not been repealed by the US Congress as of writing.
However, President Trump signed an executive order the next day ordering that the law not be enforced for 75 days, which postponed the ban until April 5, 2025. Before that date, ByteDance must sell off its shares of TikTok.
On Friday, April 4, 2025, he signed yet another executive order extending the ban by 75 days, making the new TikTok divest-or-ban deadline June 18, 2025.
However, President Trump signed another executive order on June 19 that extends the ban by 90 days, making the new deadline September 17, 2025.
TikTok issued a statement following the extension. They said: “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office.”
TikTokTrump is still confident that his administration will be able to close a deal with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, before the deadline in September.
One of those companies could be Amazon, who sent an offer to the White House just three days before the ban is set to take place.
For the first time since Biden signed the bill in 2024, ByteDance has issued a statement regarding the potential sale of the app.
“ByteDance has been in discussion with the U.S. Government regarding a potential solution for TikTok U.S. An agreement has not been executed. There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law,” said a spokesperson in an email to TechRadar.
Can TikTok still get banned?
Yes, TikTok can still get banned. The law took effect on Sunday, January 19, and it has not been repealed. However, not all hope is lost. The looming ban has creating a massive bidding ware to determine the fate of TikTok and who ultimately gets ownership of the platform.
Senate introduces bill to repeal TikTok ban entirely
US Representatives Ro Khanna and Rand Paul have also banded together to introduce a bill into Congress that, if passed, will repeal the TikTok ban law entirely.
“We cannot allow TikTok to go dark ever again,” he said in a video on TikTok. “The only real solution is to pass Senator Rand Paul and my bill to repeal the original legislation. I will fight to make sure that any solution that President Trump has does not negatively affect content creators.”
Creators have been flocking to another Chinese-owned social media app, Xiaohongshu, also known as Rednote, but a lawyer warned Dexerto that the US may try to ban that app in the future as well.
