Executive order delaying TikTok ban gets Trump sign-off

President Trump has signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day reprieve to comply with a law requiring the sale or ban of the platform. He stated that during this period, the U.S. will not enforce the law passed by Congress last year and signed by former President Joe Biden.

The order was among a series of directives Trump signed on Monday evening. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said, "I'm telling you, every rich person has called me about TikTok." When a reporter asked why he had changed his mind since trying to ban TikTok in 2020, Trump responded, "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. However, he did not provide any further details on how this might work. On Saturday night, the Chinese-owned app ceased service to U.S. users after a law banning the app on national security grounds took effect. The app resumed service to its 170 million U.S. users after Trump indicated he would issue an executive order upon taking office to grant the app a stay of execution.

The Biden administration had argued that TikTok could be used by China as a tool for espionage and political manipulation. Opponents of the ban, citing freedom of speech, argued for keeping the platform open. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, had previously ignored a law requiring it to sell its U.S. operations to avoid a ban. The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the law on Friday, and it went into effect on Sunday, but given the timing, the Biden White House said it would leave the task of enforcing the law to the incoming administration.

Trump had supported banning 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 "hosting, distributing, servicing or otherwise facilitating Communist-controlled TikTok" could face hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties. Cotton indicated that liability could come not only from the Justice Department, "but also securities laws, shareholder suits and state attorneys general. Think about that."

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attended Trump’s inauguration on Monday along with other big tech bosses including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. Earlier on Monday, YouTube star Mr Beast posted a TikTok video showing him apparently departing from a private jet, making a formal offer to acquire the short-video platform. The post did not provide further details about the offer, only saying it would be “insane”. Other companies, billionaires, and celebrities have also expressed interest in acquiring TikTok, including X owner Musk and TV show "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary.