Trump Extends TikTok Sale or Ban Deadline by 90 Days to Mid-September

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order granting TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance another 90-day extension—this time until mid-September—to finalize a sale of its U.S. operations. The move pauses enforcement of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which mandates divestiture or a ban by January 19, 2025

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified the decision is intended to prevent a blackout of the platform while negotiations continue to secure a buyer that satisfies data-security concerns

How This Extension Works

1. Third 90-day grace period: Previous delays set from January to April, and then April to June; this latest order runs until mid-September  .
2. Legal gray zone: The law permits only one 90-day extension, making repeated extensions legally contested
3. Negotiations ongoing: Trump plans to finalize a deal with U.S. investors—including Perplexity AI, AppLovin, Amazon, and Oracle—but must resolve trade friction with China  
4. Policy vs. enforcement: DOJ will hold off on penalties, allowing TikTok to remain operational while future legal or congressional action could challenge the extensions  

Why It Matters

• Prevents blackout: For now, TikTok remains accessible to its ~170 million U.S. users, including content creators and political communications.
• Data-security assurance: The order aims to preserve public trust by ensuring future sale outcomes are secure.
• Deepens US-China policy complexity: The sale hinges on Beijing’s approval amidst rising tariffs and geopolitical tension  reuters.com
• Legal uncertainty looms: Some lawmakers and legal experts argue Trump lacks authority to issue multiple extensions, potentially triggering court challenges  f

✅ Final Thoughts

By extending the TikTok sale deadline once again, Trump maintains the platform’s U.S. operations while pushing for a compliant ownership solution. But this marks the third 90-day delay—a move that challenges the law’s limits and heightens the possibility of legal disputes or renewed legislative action.