TikTok: US postpones ban on popular video-sharing app as ‘negotiations’ continue

*United States President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order, postponing the Congressionally-mandated ban on TikTok, a popular video-sharing app, as negotiations continue amid national security debates in the American country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Amid the ongoing national security debates and legal challenges, United States (US) President Donald Trump has delayed the much expected ban of TikTok, a video-sharing social media platform that is popular with over 100 million Americans, particularly youngsters.

ConsumerConnect reports President Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO), postponing the Congressionally-mandated ban on the popular video-sharing app.

It is noted the delay now affords the American country more time to craft its ownership deal with ByteDance, a Chinese-based tech giant and parent company of TikTok.

Commerce Department set to enforce the ban, but ….

The last-minute postponement of the ban on TikTok came merely hours before the US Commerce Department was set to enforce a mandate that would have removed app from US app stores.

It was also learnt the US Government’s move was expected to impact millions of consumers, and provoke significant backlash across the country.

The delay gives ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, additional time to finalise negotiations with US companies to restructure ownership in a way that satisfies American security requirements, agency report said.

President Trump’s decision to delay enforcement also comes as several lawsuits challenge the legality of the ban.

Likewise, TikTok and a group of American content creators had filed separate legal complaints, arguing the legislation passed by Congress violated the US Constitution.

Delayed ban a ‘tactical pause’?

Trump administration’s officials reportedly confirmed the delay was intended to give space for ongoing discussions involving ByteDance, Oracle, and Walmart, who are part of a potential deal to create a new US-based entity known as “TikTok Global”.

Report further indicates this deal, first proposed in 2020, has undergone several iterations, with concerns ranging from data security to operational control.

Earlier, the Trump administration had contended that TikTok’s data collection practices posed a significant threat to national security.

The administration cited fears that American user data could be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.

However, TikTok has repeatedly denied these allegations, asserting that its data centres are outside of China and that it maintains strict privacy protocols, report stated.

Meanwhile, amid the cloud of uncertainty regarding the future of the app in the country, TikTok remains operational in the United States.

By implication, TikTok’s estimated 100 million American users can continue posting, sharing, and scrolling uninterrupted, according to report.

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