‘Working very hard on a deal to save TikTok’: Donald Trump delays TikTok ban again, grants 75-day extension – The Times of India

TikTok will continue operating in the United States until at least mid-June, after US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order delaying the ban by another 75 days. The deadline extension gives ByteDance more time to divest TikTok’s US operations amid national security concerns.
“My Administration has been working very hard on a deal to save TikTok, and we have made tremendous progress,” Trump said on Truth Social, just hours before the original deadline was set to expire. He added that more time was needed to finalise the agreement, saying the transaction “requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.”
TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the US, had briefly gone dark and was removed from app stores in January after a federal law came into effect ordering its separation from Chinese parent company ByteDance. However, Trump initially paused enforcement and Friday’s extension marks the second delay.
The law, passed with strong bipartisan support and upheld by the Supreme Court, allows for one 90-day reprieve only if there is a deal on the table. However, Trump’s decision has sparked criticism. “He’s not extending anything,” said Alan Rozenshtein, a University of Minnesota law professor, told AP. “He will not enforce the law for 75 more days. The law is still in effect”, Rozenshtein added.
Concerns remain about ByteDance’s continued control of TikTok’s algorithm. “If the algorithm is still controlled by ByteDance, then it is still controlled by a company that is in a foreign, adversarial nation state,” cybersecurity expert Chris Pierson told AP.
Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering described the algorithm as central to the app’s success, saying “TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand.”
According to The New York Times, the proposed solution could involve US investors rolling over stakes into a new independent TikTok entity, with additional support from firms like Oracle and Blackstone.
Oracle already hosts much of TikTok’s US data, and its chairman Larry Ellison is a known Trump ally. Retail giant Walmart and Amazon have also reportedly shown interest, with several unconventional bids emerging from AI startup Perplexity, YouTuber MrBeast and OnlyFans.
Trump suggested TikTok might be part of a broader trade negotiation with Beijing. “We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the deal,” he said, hinting it could help resolve other disputes like tariffs. China’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, maintains it does not ask firms to share overseas data.
TikTok has insisted it prioritises user safety and transparency. For creators like Daniel Ryave, who runs @SATPrepTutor on the platform, the extension is a relief. “Almost all of my new students come through TikTok,” he told AP. “This extension will allow students to continue accessing high quality short-form educational content”, he added.
The Pew Research Center recently found American opinion on TikTok remains divided, with about a third supporting a ban and others either opposed or unsure.