President Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order on Thursday, formally declaring that a negotiated deal for the sale of TikTok’s US operations fulfills the stipulations of a 2024 law. A White House source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the impending action. This move effectively sidesteps a looming ban on the popular short-form video app within the United States, a ban mandated by the legislation above unless its Chinese ownership is severed. The executive order is likely to include an extension of the enforcement deadline, providing additional time for the complex transaction to be finalized.
The deal, currently under negotiation, aims to divest TikTok’s US assets from its parent company, ByteDance, a Chinese technology firm. This divestiture is a central requirement of the 2024 law designed to address national security concerns surrounding the app’s data handling practices. The White House has previously asserted that the deal, once completed, will satisfy these concerns. The ongoing negotiations involve securing American investors and ensuring a complete separation of TikTok’s US operations from ByteDance.
Trump has publicly acknowledged TikTok’s significant influence, crediting it with contributing to his 2020 re-election campaign. He himself boasts a substantial following of 15 million on the platform, further highlighting the app’s reach and political relevance. The White House even launched its own official TikTok account last month, underscoring the administration’s recognition of the platform’s potent communication capabilities.
The executive order, expected to be released on Thursday, will likely grant another extension to the enforcement deadline of the 2024 law. This provides additional time for the intricate process of securing US investment and ensuring a complete divestiture, satisfying the law’s requirements and paving the way for the continued operation of TikTok in the United States. The administration appears confident that the negotiated deal sufficiently addresses national security considerations.
