On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pause enforcement of the TikTok ban outlined in the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This law requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban.
Important Points of the Executive Order
The order extends ByteDance’s deadline to divest TikTok by 75 days and prevents the DOJ from penalizing companies working with TikTok during this time. It also directs the Attorney General to notify affected entities that no legal violations or liabilities have occurred under the act.
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Enforcement actions for noncompliance, including those dating back to January 19, 2025, are temporarily suspended. This pause is intended to give the administration more time to review its strategy for TikTok and similar apps.
Legal Questions Arise
The executive order’s legality is under scrutiny. The law allows for a 90-day extension only if ByteDance announces a sale to a U.S. company before the initial deadline, which hasn’t happened. Legal experts predict potential challenges to the order’s validity.
Major tech companies like Apple and Google might still hesitate to restore TikTok, citing possible liabilities. Violations of the law could result in fines reaching $850 billion and lengthy legal battles. Analysts suggest the order offers limited protection and does not override Congress or Supreme Court rulings.
Trump’s Ownership Proposal
Trump has proposed a joint venture where the U.S. government would own 50% of TikTok alongside a private company. However, details of this arrangement remain unclear, raising doubts about its feasibility.
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ByteDance has rejected the idea of selling its U.S. operations, maintaining its stance to keep TikTok active in the region. While the app briefly went offline, it has since returned, though it remains unavailable on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as these developments unfold.
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