US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of a ban on TikTok by 75 days, which was set to take effect on January 19 due to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership by ByteDance, Reuters reports.
The order also suggested that the US government should become a 50% owner of TikTok’s US operations in exchange for allowing the app to continue operating. Trump warned that he could impose tariffs on China if Beijing did not approve a US deal with TikTok. TikTok, which has 170 million users in the US, had briefly been taken offline, but access was restored after Trump provided assurances.
The legality of Trump’s executive order is uncertain, as it conflicts with national security laws passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court. Trump’s stance represents a shift from his previous efforts to ban TikTok in 2020 due to national security concerns.
