US President Donald Trump has delayed the enforcement of a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the United States, issuing a 75-day pause on its implementation.
The executive order, which halts the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was signed to allow time for negotiations with ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company.
The law, passed in January, would have prohibited the distribution and updates of TikTok in the US.
Trump, speaking at the White House, revealed he was exploring the idea of a 50-50 partnership between the US and ByteDance, though the specifics of the arrangement were unclear.
Trump, who credited TikTok with helping him secure the youth vote, expressed newfound support for the app, saying, “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally.”
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This move comes after TikTok briefly shut down in the US over the impending ban, affecting millions of users.
Trump’s intervention, which reversed the shutdown, allowed the app to resume operations.
The new administration’s order aims to create a joint venture between US companies and ByteDance, potentially valuing the company at $1 trillion.
The pause also prevents companies like Apple and Google from facing penalties for hosting or updating TikTok, while Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s US servers, would be required to comply with the new guidance.
The 75-day delay gives the US government time to seek a resolution that addresses national security concerns while preserving TikTok’s presence in the country.
Reported by PUNCH
