TikTok avoids a US ban for a second time thanks to Trump’s 75-day reprieve
What you need to know
- With a day to spare, TikTok avoids another ban in the U.S. after President Trump granted the platform an extension.
- This is the second extension TikTok has received, with the first one set to expire April 5 before this last-minute reprieve.
- A U.S. law originally set a deadline of Jan. 19 for the sale of TikTok U.S. or a nationwide ban, which has now been extended twice.
TikTok will remain available for at least 75 more days as President Donald Trump extended the deadline requiring TikTok’s sale of U.S. operations, he announced Friday, April 4 on Truth Social. This is the second time Trump has granted TikTok an extension, the first of which was set to expire on April 5 if the company did not reach a deal to divest its U.S. business.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been apprehensive toward the idea of a divestiture in the past. TikTok previously went offline for a brief period starting Jan. 19, 2025, but service was quickly restored. The law banning TikTok requires that any extensions made would require at least a path to the divestiture of TikTok U.S.
Statements from Trump and ByteDance spokespersons suggest that there could be a path to divestiture and a final resolution to this saga involving the world’s most popular social media site.
“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress,” Trump wrote in the Truth Social post. “The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.”
In a statement to CNBC, a ByteDance spokesperson said that “an agreement has not been executed” and that “there are key matters to be resolved.”
ByteDance appears to be working with the U.S. government to reach a divestiture agreement, which would need to be approved by the Chinese government. Another key part of the deal is the tariff situation between the U.S. and China, which President Trump specifically called out in his post announcing the extension.
“We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the U.S.A.!),” Trump added. “This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security!”
Months after the original TikTok ban was set to take effect as required by law, the social media platform has received another extension. That means users in the U.S. won’t have to worry about the app shutting down or being unavailable for download in the region.
“We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark,'” Trump wrote.
