Trump postpones TikTok ban in US for fourth time until December 16

US President Donald Trump has signed another executive order extending until December 16 the deadline for the Chinese company ByteDance to sell its US subsidiary TikTok, Bloomberg reports. This decision avoids a complete blocking of the app in the US.

The continuation became possible after the latest negotiations between representatives of the US and China, as a result of which a framework agreement was reached. Trump told reporters that he had a "TikTok deal" with the Chinese side, but did not name potential buyers. He is expected to discuss the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19. Recall that in July, Trump threatened to block TikTok in the US if China did not agree to the sale of the video platform.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant said the terms of the deal were similar to those discussed earlier this year and expressed confidence that the parties would be able to finalize an agreement this week.

This is the fourth extension of the deadline set by the national security law, which took effect in January 2024 and requires ByteDance to sell its US TikTok business. The law allows only one 90-day extension, raising questions about the legality of the US president's actions.

Until a final deal is reached, TikTok will be able to continue operating in the U.S., and Apple and Google will be able to list the app in their online stores. The final decision on the sale depends on Chinese authorities, who expressed objections to the deal back in August.

The Foreign Adversary-Controlled Apps Protection Act was passed to prevent the Chinese government from using TikTok to collect data or influence public opinion. President Trump has downplayed such risks, saying they are “grossly overstated” and has even launched an official White House account on TikTok.