President-elect Donald J. Trump said Sunday he would issue an executive order to stop the federal ban on TikTok, just hours after major app stores removed the popular social media site and ceased operations for American users.
“I'm asking companies to not let TikTok remain in the dark,” Trump said in a publish on Truth Social. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the time period before the law's prohibitions go into effect, so we can reach an agreement to protect our national security.”
The ban stems from a 2024 law that requires app stores and cloud computing providers to stop distributing or hosting TikTok unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Lawmakers passed the law out of fear that the Chinese government could use the app, which has about 170 million American users, to gather information about Americans or spread propaganda.
App stores and cloud computing providers that fail to comply with the law face potentially significant financial penalties. Trump said in his Sunday post that he would “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped prevent TikTok from disappearing prior to my order.”
An executive order would mark a new phase in the fight for the future of the app, which has reshaped the landscape of social media and popular culture, and created a lifeline for millions of influencers and small businesses who rely on the platform. By issuing an order, Trump is attempting to temporarily neutralize a law that passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court last week.
It is unclear whether Trump's efforts will be successful. His executive order could face a legal challenge, including over whether it has the power to stop the enforcement of a federal law. Companies subject to the law may determine that the order does not provide sufficient assurance that they will not be penalized for violations
The law allows a president to grant a 90-day extension if a buyer is found, but only if there is “significant progress” toward a deal that puts TikTok in the hands of a non-Chinese company. That agreement must also be able to be completed within 90 days for the president to activate the extension. And it's unclear whether that extension option still exists, given that the law is already in effect.
In his post on Sunday, Trump floated the idea that he “would like the United States to have a 50% stake in a joint venture,” without providing further details.
TikTok has said a sale is impossible, citing the nature of its global operations, and China has already signaled it would block the export of its important video recommendation technology.
TikTok and several Democratic members of Congress have made a last-ditch effort in recent days to keep the app online. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, privately told President Biden that allowing the app to go dark during his term would damage his legacy.
TikTok critics began their own efforts to keep the potential ban going. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas and chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, called some major tech companies in recent days to tell them they needed to comply with the law, according to three people familiar with the calls.
On Sunday, Cotton and Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, in a joint statement praised amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft for following the law, noting that violations could result in bankruptcy.
“Now that the law has gone into effect, there is no legal basis for any type of 'extension' of its effective date,” they added. Only a sale will allow TikTok to continue operating.
Maggie Haberman and Karen Weiss contributed with reports.
