Executive order delaying TikTok ban gets sign-off

President Trump has signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day reprieve from a law requiring the platform to be sold or banned. During this period, the U.S. will not enforce the law passed by Congress last year and signed by former President Joe Biden.

“I tell you, every rich person is calling me about TikTok,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. When asked by a reporter why his stance had changed since trying to ban TikTok in 2020, Trump replied, “Because I have to use it.” He also raised the possibility of a joint venture, stating he was looking for a 50-50 partnership between “America” and its Chinese owner, ByteDance, but provided no further details.

Previously, the Chinese-owned app had ceased service to U.S. users on Saturday night as a law banning the app on national security grounds went into effect. However, the app was restored to its 170 million U.S. users after Trump indicated he would issue an executive order granting the app a reprieve upon taking office. The Biden administration had previously argued that China could use TikTok as a tool for espionage and political manipulation.

Opponents of the ban argue that the platform should remain open, citing freedom of speech. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, had previously defied a law requiring it to sell its U.S. operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court last Friday and went into effect on Sunday, but the Biden White House said it would leave the task of enforcing the law to the incoming administration given the timing. Trump had supported a ban on the platform during his first term. The newly signed executive order puts him at odds with many members of his own party in Congress.

On Sunday, Republican Senator Tom Cotton posted on X that any company that “hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise assists Communist-controlled TikTok” could face hundreds of billions of dollars in fines. Cotton said the liability could come not only from the Justice Department, “but also from securities laws, shareholder lawsuits, and state attorneys general. Think carefully.” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attended Trump's inauguration on Monday alongside other tech giants including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. Earlier Monday, YouTube star MrBeast posted a TikTok video in which he was apparently on a private jet, preparing to make a formal offer to purchase the short-video platform. The post offered no further details on the offer, saying only that it would be “insane.” Other companies, billionaires, and celebrities have also expressed interest in buying TikTok, including X owner Musk and investor Kevin O'Leary from the television show “Shark Tank.”