"Trump doesn't want to shut down TikTok." US President again postpones ban on app
US President Donald Trump has extended by 90 days the deadline for the sale of US assets of the TikTok app to the Chinese company ByteDance, Reuters reports.
Trump has twice previously delayed the TikTok ban, which was supposed to take effect in January, with the latest deadline being June 19.
The law stipulates that TikTok must either be sold to American investors or cease operations if significant progress in sales is not demonstrated.
According to White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, Trump will sign a new executive order this week that will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
"President Trump doesn't want TikTok shut down," Levitt said.
Trump previously stated that TikTok helped him gain the support of young voters during his run for a second term.
This spring, an option to sell TikTok was discussed – it was envisaged to create a new American company with the majority of investors from the United States.
But the talks were suspended after China opposed the deal amid Trump's announcement of new tariffs on Chinese goods.
Senate Democrats, meanwhile, are questioning the legality of Trump's actions. They believe the president lacks the authority to extend the law and question whether the proposed option to sell TikTok meets the legal requirements.
- On March 27, Trump said he was willing to lower tariffs against China in order to reach a deal with the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok.
- On March 31, Trump said that a deal with TikTok owner ByteDance would be concluded by the April 5 deadline.
