WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order extending by 75 days the deadline for the Chinese owners of TikTok to divest in the app to avoid it being banned in the United States.
Trump signed the order within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. TikTok CEO Shou Chew was among the tech moguls who attended the inauguration.
TikTok had taken itself offline for a period of hours on Sunday in line with a deadline set by a law signed by now former President Joe Biden in April that forced it to be sold to American owners to avoid a ban.
On Friday, the Biden White House said it would not enforce the ban in deference to the incoming Trump administration, which indicated it was against a ban.
TikTok maintained that the Biden administration’s pledge not to enforce the law was not clear enough and that the app’s service providers had to comply with the law to avoid being prosecuted for breaking the law.
Users attempting to open TikTok on Sunday were met with messages saying that the app was not available, pending a deal with Trump.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the app said in a message overlaying its normal screen. “Please stay tuned!”
But within hours, that message disappeared and service returned.
TikTok thanked talks with Trump for allowing it to restore service.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” it said. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” the statement added. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
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The law forcing TikTok’s Chinese owners to divest or be banned was passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support in April after being driven forward primarily by House Republicans, who said they feared the app could be used to push Chinese propaganda.
The law gave TikTok’s Chinese owners 270 days from the day Biden signed it to divest in the app to avoid a ban. By design or chance, that deadline fell on the day before Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
During his first term in office, Trump had signed an executive order banning TikTok that was later overturned by the Supreme Court. But out of power, Trump turned into a fan of the app, and heavily criticized Biden’s decision to sign the bipartisan TikTok ban bill last year.
The Biden White House called TikTok’s decision to take its app offline despite the administration’s pledges not to enforce the law a “stunt.”
“We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok,” Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said Saturday. “It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday.”
“We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration,” she said. “TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.”
On his TruthSocial platform, Trump said he extended the deadline for TikTok “so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
However, he indicated he still wished to see its ownership change, with an American owner having at least a 50% ownership in the app. That was because, he said, America was where the app is making money.
“Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose,” Trump said in the Truth Social post on Sunday.
Edited by Malcolm Foster.