President Donald Trump announced Thursday he has signed an executive order giving TikTok another 90 days to find a U.S. buyer or face a nationwide ban, extending the deadline until September 17, 2025.
The extension marks the third time Trump has delayed enforcement of a federal law that requires the popular video-sharing platform to break away from Chinese control due to national security concerns.
Despite TikTok’s massive American user base, over 170 million, Trump and his advisors have long raised alarms about the app’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the extension will give his administration more time to negotiate a deal that would turn TikTok into a U.S.-owned asset, protecting national security while preserving a platform he acknowledges Americans love.
“My Administration must review sensitive intelligence and assess TikTok’s so-called mitigation measures,” Trump wrote in his executive order, originally issued on Inauguration Day. He added that his team would continue consulting with agency heads to resolve concerns about how the app handles U.S. data.
Trump has floated the idea of brokering a high-value purchase deal himself, suggesting any buyer should share the profits with the United States in exchange for a permit to operate. “With a permit, it’s worth like a trillion dollars. Buy it and give half to the United States of America — half,” Trump told reporters earlier this year.
No final sale agreement has been announced yet. Meanwhile, TikTok praised Trump’s decision to keep the app running for now. “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
Trump has previously described himself as having a “warm spot” for TikTok but insists that any deal must guarantee the app is free from Chinese influence to protect American users.
The clock now ticks until mid-September for TikTok’s parent company to close a deal with a non-Chinese buyer — or risk a full U.S. ban under the law Trump signed last April.