Fri Apr 04 19:23:23 UTC 2025: ## Trump Delays TikTok Ban Again, Seeking Deal to Avoid US Divestment
**Washington, D.C.** – President Donald Trump has once again postponed the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest from the popular video app or face a US ban. A new executive order pushes the deadline back 75 days, offering further time to negotiate a deal that addresses national security concerns.
Trump, citing “tremendous progress” on a deal to “SAVE TIKTOK,” stated on Truth Social that additional time is needed to secure all necessary approvals. He expressed optimism about working with TikTok and China to finalize the agreement.
The 2024 law, passed with bipartisan support, mandates ByteDance divest from TikTok due to data security and national security concerns. The Supreme Court upheld this law earlier this year, rejecting freedom of speech arguments. However, Trump’s initial executive order upon taking office temporarily paused the ban, citing the need for an orderly process.
While the administration has received numerous offers from US companies to purchase TikTok, ByteDance has maintained it will not sell. Reports suggest a potential compromise involves increasing the stakes of major non-Chinese ByteDance investors, forming a new US entity, and reducing Chinese ownership below the legally mandated 20 percent threshold.
TikTok, which has headquarters in Singapore and Los Angeles, emphasizes its commitment to user safety. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies any government request for data collection from foreign countries. Despite these denials, concerns persist regarding Beijing’s increasing control over China’s tech sector.
Trump has also suggested the possibility of reducing tariffs on China as an incentive to finalize the TikTok deal. With approximately half of the US population using TikTok, the app’s future in the US remains a significant point of contention.
First Piper 