TikTok Ban Delayed Until April: Is There Still Hope for the App?

What Happens Next?

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President Trump signed an executive order on January 20 extending the ban deadline for TikTok by 75 days.

The executive order states:

“The unfortunate timing of section 2(a) of the Act [the ban] – one day before I took office as the 47th President of the United States – interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Act’s prohibitions before they take effect. This timing also interferes with my ability to negotiate a resolution to avoid an abrupt shutdown of the TikTok platform while addressing national security concerns. Accordingly, I am instructing the Attorney General not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”

This means that general users and businesses can continue to use TikTok until the beginning of April – though many are already considering TikTok alternatives. It could be wise to use this time to feel out other platforms, without completely abandoning TikTok, since we don’t know what the outcome will be yet.

Between now and then, the US government and TikTok will discuss and negotiate the app’s future to prevent the platform from shutting down again. As it stands, TikTok will still need to sell its US operations to avoid a ban.

Trump’s Changing Views

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Despite Trump seemingly saving the day by giving TikTok more time to work out a sale, many seem to have forgotten that it was Donald Trump who kicked this whole saga off during his first term as President.

However, Trump has since changed his views on the app after crediting the app with his success in appealing to younger voters during the 2024 campaign.

TikTok went dark over the weekend, ahead of Sunday’s ban, but was swiftly restored a few hours later. And, though Biden’s government made it clear they wouldn’t enforce the ban, users of the app were greeted with a pop-up message that credited Trump with TikTok’s return: “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

Who Will Buy TikTok?

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Following the executive order, TikTok still faces an uncertain future in the US. Trump has suggested a 50:50 split during a recent press conference:

“What I’m thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it, and give half to the United States of America. Half, and we’ll give you the permit. And they’ll have a great partner, the United States.”

There’s no concrete plan in place yet, but President Trump’s administration has made it clear they want to assess the app’s threat to national security and are still keen for the app to hand over some ownership to the US.

With Trump’s close ties to tech companies and CEOs, and the app’s popularity in the US, some potential buyers have been rumored:

• Elon Musk – owner of X, Tesla, SpaceX, and Trump’s new Head of DOGE, Musk is a real contender given his new ties with Trump’s government
• Larry Ellison – Trump said he would support Oracle’s Chairman if he wanted to purchase TikTok
• MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) – the YouTube star has joined an investor group which is in the process of submitting an offer to buy TikTok
• Kevin O’Leary – an investor from Shark Tank and part of a group called “The People’s Bid for TikTok” that submitted an offer ahead of Trump’s inauguration
• Perplexity AI – the US-based AI search engine supposedly made an offer to merge with TikTok

No sale is set in stone, and it’s possible the US government could own part of TikTok in the future. However, we await more details about President Trump’s plan for the app.