President Trump Extends 'TikTok' Ban Deadline: Deal or No Deal?

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President Donald Trump vowed to extend the deadline for the "TikTok ban" until a deal is struck to sell the Chinese-owned social media app to a U.S. owner, saying in an interview on Sunday that he has a "warm spot" in his heart for it.

"I’d like to see it done, I have a little sweet spot in my heart because I won young people by 36 points… and I focused on TikTok," Trump told NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker.

President Biden signed the so-called "TikTok" ban into law in April 2024.

The legislation required that unless the CCP-affiliated parent company ByteDance divests from the application and relinquishes its ownership share. to a US owner Alternatively, the company TikTok could face a ban within the United States starting from January 19, 2025.

TRUMP DISMISSSES SPECULATION ABOUT A THIRD TERM: 'IT'S NOT SOMETHING I'M CONSIDERING'

Trump extended the ban by 75 days Through an executive order on his inaugural day, and most recently prolonging the restriction by an additional 75 days in April.

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"I probably shouldn't mention this, but I've got a soft spot for TikTok," Trump stated on Sunday.

The application owned by a Chinese company faced a temporary shutdown of 24 hours in January as the regulation was about to be implemented. Both Apple and Google took down TikTok from their respective app stores.

"We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable, we're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned," the app, which boasts 170 million US users, displayed in a popup message.

TRUMP STATES THAT CHINA COULD RATIFY THE TIKTOK AGREEMENT IN '15 MINUTES' PROVIDED HE REDUCES TARIFFS

TikTok restarted operations 24 hours after being halted when President Trump issued an announcement on TruthSocial promising to prolong the deadline for the ban. He also assured that entities engaging in transactions with the platform would not face legal repercussions. In response, TikTok expressed gratitude towards then-President-elect Trump following the restoration of services. Subsequently, both Apple and Google reinstated the social media application within their respective app stores.

Trump vowed to Welker that the app would be "protected" and said he wants to see a deal for the social media app finalize. Critics of TikTok say that it leaves American users vulnerable to foreign surveillance and causes mental health disorders in children and teens. Trump has downplayed the risk of the app in recent months.

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"When questioned by Fox News' Sean Hannity regarding the app, Trump wondered aloud whether it was crucial for China to monitor young individuals viewing absurd clips," he said in January.

Original article source: President Trump pledges to prolong 'TikTok' ban deadline until an agreement is reached.