Will the third time be the charm for TikTok’s future? With another extension deadline in two weeks, the social media platform’s future lies in the hands of President Donald Trump.
In January, TikTok went dark for 12 hours in the United States when China-based ByteDance failed to divest the app’s U.S. assets, as required by law. Since coming into office on Jan. 20, Trump issued two executive orders to extend the ban’s deadline, hoping to acquire the short-form video app used by 170 million Americans. But so far, a deal has yet to be struck. The next deadline is June 19.
A plan had been in the works that would spin off TikTok’s American operation into a new firm owned and operated by U.S. investors, but was put on hold, according to Reuters, after China would not approve it following Trump’s announcements of steep tariffs on its goods.
During an NBC News interview in May, Trump said he would extend the deadline a third time if a deal isn’t made by the June 19 deadline.
“I’d like to see it done,” Trump said during the interview. The president added that he has a “little sweet spot” in his heart for TikTok, which he claims helped him win votes during the 2024 presidential election. “It’ll be protected. It’ll be very strongly protected. But if it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension.”
The White House declined to comment about a potential TikTok sale.
Will TikTok get banned on June 19?
It is unclear. If ByteDance does not divest TikTok by Thursday, June 19, the platform could be banned in the United States again. However, Trump has said that if the sale isn’t finalized in time, he will extend the deadline again.
How many times is Trump allowed to extend the TikTok ban?
This, too, is unclear. Under federal legislation that put the TikTok ban in place, the president can implement a 90-day extension on the deadline to sell. But Trump didn’t take this route in January or April. Instead, he signed executive orders delaying the ban by 75 days. If Trump wishes to sign another executive order ahead of the June 19 deadline, he can.
While it’s within Trump’s discretion to sign executive orders to delay the ban, there may be a time when Congress sees it fit to pass a law ordering a firm deadline, John Acevedo, Emory University School of Law professor, told Spectrum News in April.
But just because the executive orders are within Trump’s authority doesn’t mean everyone is happy with his decisions.
“The deadline for Trump to follow the law passed 135 days ago. It is shocking that a bipartisan-backed law, signed by the former president and upheld by the Supreme Court, is being treated like a mere suggestion by the White House,” said Stephen Kent, Consumer Choice Center media director, in a news release.
A recap: Why is TikTok getting banned?
Former President Joe Biden signed federal legislation in 2024 that gave ByteDance until Jan. 19, 2025 to divest TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. Some politicians see TikTok as a national security threat, expressing concern that ByteDance may be sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government. ByteDance has denied these claims, which remain unsubstantiated.
However, ByteDance did not divest in time.
In January, TikTok went dark for a little more than 12 hours in the U.S. after the app was effectively banned. U.S. internet hosting services made TikTok unavailable to access, and app stores removed the app for download.
During the short-lived shutdown, Trump promised internet hosting services and app stores that they could restore TikTok and not face legal penalties. Under the federal legislation, companies could be fined $5,000 per user they help access TikTok. For companies like Google and Apple, this could mean a $5,000 fine for each user who downloads or updates TikTok.
Internet hosting services like Oracle didn’t waste time rebooting the app, but it wasn’t until Feb. 13 that TikTok became available again in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump to decide Tiktok’s fate no later than June 19
