Trump Issues Third TikTok Extension, Pushing Ban Deadline to September

Administration seeks additional 90 days to finalize American ownership deal for Chinese-owned social media platform.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday extending TikTok's operational reprieve in the United States for another 90 days, marking his third postponement of the congressionally mandated ban since taking office. The extension provides additional time for negotiations to secure American ownership of the popular social media platform owned by China's ByteDance.

Latest Extension Details

Trump announced the extension through his Truth Social platform Thursday morning, marking the third time he has delayed the implementation of a TikTok ban that was originally approved by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the reasoning behind the decision: "He's making an extension so we can get this deal done. It's wildly popular. He also wants to protect Americans' data and privacy concerns on this app. And he believes we can do both at the same time."

The platform briefly went dark when the initial ban took effect on January 20, Trump's first day in office, before he issued the first extension. A second extension followed in April when negotiations for a U.S.-owned spinoff company collapsed after China withdrew from discussions following Trump's tariff announcement.

TikTok's Response and Current Operations

TikTok expressed appreciation for the continued extensions in an official statement: "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."

The platform continues operating normally for its 170 million American users, with major tech companies including Apple, Google, and Oracle maintaining their support after receiving assurances from Trump's Justice Department that they would not face penalties under the original ban legislation.

Political and Legal Landscape

The repeated extensions have created what Jeremy Goldman, an analyst at Emarketer, described as a "deadline purgatory." Goldman characterized the situation, noting that the process "is starting to feel less like a ticking clock and more like a looped ringtone. This political Groundhog Day is starting to resemble the debt ceiling drama: a recurring threat with no real resolution."

Despite questions about the legal authority for these extensions, no court challenges have emerged, unlike many of Trump's other executive orders. Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia criticized the approach, stating that the Trump administration is "flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks" posed by a China-controlled TikTok. Warner added: "An executive order can't sidestep the law, but that's exactly what the president is trying to do."

Market Analysis and Future Outlook

Industry analysts suggest TikTok remains confident about its long-term prospects in the U.S. market. Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering pointed to the company's continued innovation as evidence: "TikTok's behavior also indicates they're confident in their future, as they rolled out new AI video tools at Cannes this week. Smaller players, like Snap, will try to steal share during this 'uncertain time,' but they will not succeed because this next round for TikTok isn't uncertain at all."

Shifting Public Opinion

American sentiment regarding TikTok has evolved significantly over the past two years. A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that support for a TikTok ban has declined from 50 percent in March 2023 to approximately one-third of Americans currently. About one-third oppose a ban, while a similar percentage remain undecided.

Among those supporting a ban, roughly 80 percent cited data security concerns as a primary factor, reflecting ongoing worries about the platform's Chinese ownership through ByteDance.

Trump's personal relationship with TikTok has also influenced the situation. He has accumulated over 15 million followers since joining the platform and has credited it with helping him connect with younger voters. In January, Trump stated that he has a "warm spot for TikTok," highlighting the platform's political value to his administration.

The ongoing extensions suggest that an outright TikTok ban appears increasingly unlikely in the near term, as negotiations continue between the U.S. government and stakeholders seeking to establish American ownership of the popular social media platform.