TikTok in Limbo: Trump Extends Lifeline Amid US Ban

President-elect Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order granting TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, additional time to find an approved buyer for its US operations. The federal law requiring the app's sale has led to its removal from app stores, causing user access restrictions.

President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to extend the deadline for TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations. This move comes after the app was removed from digital platforms, corresponding to a federal law mandating the sale due to national security concerns.

The executive order, which Trump revealed on his Truth Social account, aims to provide ByteDance more time as millions of American users faced interruptions accessing TikTok. With previous offers from investors failing to result in a sale, the situation led to app removal from major stores such as Apple and Google.

The federal law, passed with bipartisan support, allows a 90-day extension for ByteDance to complete a sale. Lawmakers have long cited national security risks due to the app's Chinese ownership, though evidence of data sharing has not been presented publicly. Meanwhile, TikTok and ByteDance continue to challenge the law on First Amendment grounds.

(With inputs from agencies.)