President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that delays the ban on TikTok by 75 days. The ban, originally set to take effect on January 19, was temporarily blocked to give Trump’s administration time to find a solution.
Trump suggested that the U.S. could become a half-owner of TikTok’s U.S. business if the app is allowed to continue operating in the country. This proposal comes after concerns that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could misuse American users’ data.
The app, used by 170 million Americans, was briefly taken offline on Saturday, just before the law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok was set to take effect. The ban was linked to national security concerns over user data being handled by a Chinese company.
After the order, TikTok quickly restored access on Sunday, thanking Trump for his efforts in securing its future. However, it’s still not available for download in the Apple and Google app stores.
Trump’s executive order, signed shortly after his inauguration, instructs the attorney general to delay enforcement of the ban, giving the administration time to figure out the next steps for TikTok. It’s still unclear if the app will be available again in U.S. app stores, as the order does not directly address that issue.
In his comments, Trump said the U.S. could take a 50% stake in TikTok as part of a deal, which would allow the U.S. to have some control over the app. This would be a first for the U.S. government, which has never demanded an equity stake in a private company before.
While the legal situation around TikTok remains unclear, Trump has made it clear that the U.S. intends to protect its national security interests while ensuring that the app remains available to users in the country.
China has expressed openness to a deal that keeps TikTok operating in the U.S., but has also emphasized that companies should make their own decisions about business operations.