Donald Trump Officially Pauses TikTok Ban For 75 Days, Says He Has The Power To Shut It Down Again

Donald Trump Officially Pauses TikTok Ban For 75 Days, Says He Has The Power To Shut It Down Again

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday delaying enforcement of a TikTok ban for 75 days and shielding U.S. business partners of the app from liability. The pause aims to allow time “to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans,” the order states.

“Essentially with TikTok I have the right to sell it or close it,” Donald Trump said from the Oval Office. “We may have to get approval from China. I’m not sure. I’m sure they’ll approve.”

Donald Trump hinted at a “joint venture” involving the U.S. and other parties, adding, “I think you have a lot of people who would be interested.”

The action addresses a law, effective Sunday, making it illegal for companies to support TikTok while it remains under ByteDance, a Beijing-based company. Lawmakers fear potential spying or data misuse by the Chinese government.