Trump Grants 75-Day Grace Period on TikTok Ban

Newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order granting a 75-day pause on enforcing a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the United States. This marks one of Trump’s first official actions after taking office.

The delay postpones the implementation of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which went into effect on January 19. This law, passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed by former President Joe Biden, aimed to prohibit the distribution and updating of TikTok in the US due to national security concerns.

Trump explained his decision during the signing of the order, saying, “I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally, but I went on TikTok and I won young people,” crediting the platform for helping him secure the youth vote in his election victory.

The TikTok ban was initially driven by fears that the Chinese government could exploit the app to spy on Americans or manipulate public opinion through data collection and content control. As the ban’s deadline passed on Saturday, TikTok ceased operations in the US, leaving millions of users unable to access the app.

However, Trump’s order temporarily reverses the situation, allowing TikTok to resume service on Sunday. TikTok credited Trump for the move, despite the outgoing Biden administration’s earlier statement that it would not enforce the ban.

The executive order also directs the attorney general to issue guidance confirming that service providers like Apple and Google will not face legal penalties for continuing to host or update TikTok during the pause. This clarification is crucial for companies that could otherwise face fines of up to $5,000 per user for failing to comply with the ban.

Additionally, Oracle, which manages TikTok’s US servers, remains legally obligated to enforce the ban unless otherwise directed.

The 75-day grace period is intended to provide the Trump administration time to negotiate a resolution that protects national security while preserving a platform used by 170 million Americans. According to the order, this pause aims to “pursue a deal that balances security concerns with the app’s popularity among US citizens.”