‘We do not want TikTok to go dark’: Trump extends deadline by 75 days

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday said that his administration had been working on a deal to “save TikTok” and said that he would be signing an executive order to keep the app operational for an additional 75 days.

Sharing a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “My administration has been working very hard on a deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.”

“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress.” –President Donald J. Trump @tiktok_us pic.twitter.com/SRB6wr3v76

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 4, 2025

Trump further expressed hope that discussions with China would continue in “good faith,” acknowledging that China was displeased with the US reciprocal tariffs. He defended these tariffs as essential for ensuring fair and balanced trade between the two countries. Trump emphasised that the goal was to prevent TikTok from “going dark.”

“We hope to continue working in good faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our reciprocal tariffs (Necessary for fair and balanced trade between China and the USA!). This proves that tariffs are the most powerful economic tool and very important to our national security! We do not want TikTok to “go dark.” We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the post added.

Notably, the announcement comes just one day before the ban was set to go into effect, after Trump delayed by an initial 75 days when he took office in January, according to CNN.

Last year, former President Joe Biden enacted a law that mandated TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, based in China, to sell off the app or face a ban in the United States due to national security concerns. While the law was initially scheduled to take effect in January, Trump announced he would postpone its enforcement in an effort to negotiate an agreement that would keep the app “alive.”

A ByteDance spokesperson said the TikTok parent company “has been in discussion with the US government regarding a potential solution for TikTok US.”

“An agreement has not been executed. There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law,” the ByteDance spokesperson said in a statement, CNN reported. (ANI)