United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that delays TikTok’s ban enforcement action for 75 days. The order, aimed at restoring TikTok’s service in the country, comes a day after the video content platform restored services in the U.S. after shutting down due to a “sell or ban” law.
According to the presidential order, relevant government agencies are to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving TikTok.
Trump, who was inaugurated on Monday as the 47th President of the United States, likewise instructed the U.S. Attorney General not to take any action for 75 days to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), the act that effectively banned TikTok in the U.S. on Sunday, January 19.
“During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act. Even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act,” the executive order reads.
Trump’s expected move follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the PAFACA, which passed with bipartisan congressional support during former President Joe Biden’s term.
Recall that TikTok stopped working for users in the U.S. late on Saturday before a law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect on Sunday. TikTok has been battling for months with a bill signed into law by President Biden in April 2024. The move mandates ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations to another owner by January 19 or face a ban that will halt its download on download App stores.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned,” a message notified U.S. users of TikTok after it went dark on Saturday night.
After its restoration on Sunday night owing to Trump’s intervention, the company thanked the President for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
Trump’s timely intervention
TikTok was caught in a dilemma in recent weeks with the “sell or ban” law. This followed years of allegations from the U.S. government that TikTok’s ties to China pose a national security risk and that it exposes Americans’ sensitive information to the Chinese government.
While it seems that the platform will lose its presence in the U.S. which might see it lose over 170 million users, relying on Trump’s involvement proved to be a last resort. Indeed, his intention was timely.
As TikTok prepared for a shutdown, it was making preparations to protect its services from legal liability and make it easier to resume operations in a relatively short time while it awaits President-elect Donald Trump’s rollback of any ban.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Friday has made it illegal for app stores and internet hosting services to distribute the social network across the U.S. as of Sunday.
In an earlier court session held last Friday, the legislation said it does not forbid app usage but would require tech giants such as Apple and Google to stop offering it and inhibit updates, which analysts suggest would run down over time.
“Given just a handful of days after oral argument to issue an opinion, I cannot profess the kind of certainty I would like to have about the arguments and record before us. All I can say is that, at this time and under these constraints, the problem appears real and the response to it is not unconstitutional… Speaking with and in favour of a foreign adversary is one thing. Allowing a foreign adversary to spy on Americans is another,” the court writes in the latest verdict passed contained in an unsigned opinion.
After the Court upheld the ban on Friday, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had a conversation with China’s leader Chairman Xi Jinping, in which they discussed TikTok, among other things. He didn’t say what the outcome of that conversation was.
In an intervention in December, he had urged the court to delay its decision until he returned to the White House to enable him to seek a “political solution” to resolve the issues.
“As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.,” the platform said after it restored services on Sunday night. The new executive order now gives TikTok 75 days to find a buyer or work out a solution surrounding the law.
Similar Read: TikTok restores service in the U.S.
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