President Donald Trump has signed another executive order to delay the deadline for TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The new extension runs for 90 days and now ends in mid‑September. The administration says it needs more time to ensure any deal will protect American user data.
Reason for the Delay
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the extra time will let the government “work to close a deal so the American people can continue using TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.” The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would ban TikTok if no divestiture happens. This extension offers temporary relief to service providers such as Apple and Oracle from potential fines under that law.
Questions About Legal Authority
Critics observe that the extensions that Trump continues to impose are not written in the statute. The law was enacted overwhelmingly and bipartisan and the Supreme Court ruled on its constitutionality. Both Republican Senator Josh Hawley and Democratic Senator Mark Warner raised a red flag that recurrent delays are not within the legal mechanism adopted by Congress.
Concerns from Lawmakers
A group of senators wrote to the president, warning that further extensions would force companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle to choose between legal liability or cutting off access for millions of users. They called the situation “unacceptable and unworkable.” Senator Ed Markey and Senator Cory Booker argued the law requires strict enforcement without indefinite delays.
Industry Response
So far, no court challenge has blocked the extensions. TikTok’s potential buyers have faced hurdles over tariffs and regulatory approval in China. Oracle and other bidders once neared a deal in April, but new trade tensions disrupted talks. ByteDance must also heed Chinese rules on exporting key technology, such as its recommendation algorithm.
All the current plans of TikTok are now not clear since the new deadline is September. Provided that no approved divestiture is to be applied by that date, the ban may be in force. At least the TikTok users in the United States have the benefit of continuing to post and browse. Tech companies and legislators will keep watching the situation as both parties want it resolved.