Tuesday, September 16, President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a ban on TikTok for the fourth time this year. President Trump signed an executive order to continue the pause in enforcing the law until at least December 16. This new extension on the ban will possibly aid in a timely agreement for a safer app.
The beginning of the anticipated decision for TikTok’s ban in the U.S. stemmed from national security concerns. A brief from the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) in October 2024 brought up the concerns relating to the Chinese Communist Party potentially influencing TikTok users by controlling their feed or spreading misinformation. While other social media platforms collect and track consumers’ data, case officials stay concerned about the potential for misuse by foreign components. The ban prolonged its official due date in an attempt to negotiate with the opposing side and come to an agreement.
“During the first TikTok ban, I did not think it was real, and I thought they were joking because they said they were going to ban it for like two years. I don’t think it was that serious to ban the app, and there are more important things than TikTok. It’s not necessary compared to other apps and struggles with our country,” junior Ava Lewis said.
Congress passed a bipartisan law that would effectively ban TikTok due to the app’s failure to cut ties with ByteDance, its China-based parent company, but a potential deal with China includes the launch of a new app under U.S. control. The law that the Supreme Court upheld took effect the day before President Trump’s inauguration in January. However, President Trump issued additional orders every few months directing the Justice Department not to take action or impose penalties against companies, such as Apple and Google, for their failure to remove the app from their platforms. During his first term, he tried, unsuccessfully, to ban the app, citing the potential security risks. Following his second term, President Trump praised TikTok for helping him win the support of young voters and dismissed concerns about the app as highly overrated, even launching an account for the White House.
“During the first TikTok ban, I was honestly surprised because I’m the type of person who uses TikTok a lot throughout my daily life. I use it as a source of entertainment and helpful information as well. I believe it was very unnecessary since there were many benefits to having TikTok and many memories that were made on the app,” junior Thy Pham said.
A proposal to save TikTok from disappearing in the U.S. would involve investments from a number of U.S.-based venture capital firms, private equity funds and tech companies. Together, these investors could potentially create a different U.S.-based company that will operate the app domestically. As expected from the plans with the investors, they would roughly own an 80% stake in TikTok, and Chinese shareholders would hold the rest. The new consortium would also operate under a majority-U.S. board, aiding in a settled agreement.
As of September 19, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed a framework deal in place with China, planning to put an end to the dispute. Following the call between the president and Xi Jinping, a finalized deal emerged with TikTok’s U.S. assets sold to American investors. With the arrangement, TikTok’s algorithm will now remain under U.S. control, and Americans will hold six out of seven board seats for the company. The remaining assets of TikTok, held by Chinese investors moving forward, will hold 20% and possibly less in the future.
