Will TikTok Be Saved? Trump Extends Ban Again

TikTok Given Another 90 Days

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TikTok was originally supposed to be banned in the US in January following safety concerns surrounding user data. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, refused to sell the app’s US operations by this date.

Since then, President Trump has extended the deadline twice to grant the US and ByteDance more time to negotiate a sale.

After previously hinting at extending the US TikTok ban deadline for a third time, the White House has now given official confirmation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke on Tuesday to confirm that Trump would sign an executive order this week:

“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”

The extension will keep TikTok running in the US for another 90 days. The new ban deadline is set for mid-September, likely around September 17.

Is a Deal Close?

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Despite the Supreme Court upholding the law to sell or ban TikTok in January, what will happen to the popular app has remained up in the air ever since. This has raised legal questions about Trump’s authority to repeatedly extend the deadline.

Plus, the lack of a deal puts app stores, including those from Apple and Google, in a blurry gray area. Trump’s administration has promised they won’t be penalized for hosting TikTok, but its uncertain future does little to provide hope.

Many Democrats claimed in a letter to Trump back in March that the Administration is “ignoring the requirements in the law” and putting companies at risk if they continue to host TikTok on their app stores. TikTok has now remained live in the US for 150 days following its original sell or ban deadline.

But who’s looking to buy TikTok? Many names and companies have been mentioned during discussions over TikTok’s sale, including Elon Musk, Microsoft, and YouTube star MrBeast.

As far as we know, only one group, led by Oracle, has come close to finding a deal. Unfortunately, things turned sour given Trump’s tariffs against China. Now that tariff discussions have simmered down, perhaps this third extension will be the last.

Uncertainty for Small Businesses

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With a third extension in the works, US small businesses have been granted more time with the app, as well as additional time to prepare for a potential TikTok ban.

According to a report by TikTok, sales via TikTok Shop have increased by 120% since last year. And, over a third of all TikTok Shop purchases in the US supported small businesses. This proves the value of TikTok for small business owners, so it’s understandable why many will fear losing the platform.

Not only does advertising on TikTok help businesses engage with a community of potential customers, but it’s also an ecommerce tool to boost sales and promote services.

While we await further updates about TikTok’s future, I recommend exploring TikTok alternatives to build a loyal following elsewhere and downloading your TikTok content to avoid losing existing videos should TikTok go dark in September.

So, while you do have more time to prepare thanks to Trump’s extension, it’s good to get a jump start! And, hopefully, the app will be saved from another shutdown before the end of summer.