President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for a potential TikTok ban in the U.S., marking the third time he's done so. On Thursday, June 19, 2025, he signed an executive order that gives TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, an additional 90 days to sell its U.S. operations. The new deadline is now set for September 17, 2025.

This latest extension comes despite a congressional law, which the Supreme Court upheld, that required TikTok to either sell or shut down its operations in the U.S. by January 19, 2025. Although the ban briefly went into effect on that date, Trump issued an executive order on his inauguration day to pause enforcement. He followed that up with a second extension in April, and now this third one, as his administration continues to work through the complicated negotiations surrounding the app's ownership and the associated data security issues.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that this extension is meant to provide more time for a deal to be reached, ensuring that American users can keep using TikTok while feeling confident that their data is protected. The ongoing talks are focused on bringing TikTok's U.S. operations under American control, addressing long-standing national security worries about the potential for the Chinese government to access user data.

While these extensions have raised some eyebrows, especially from those questioning the legal grounds for bypassing the congressional mandate, they haven't faced major legal pushback. President Trump, who has built a significant following on TikTok, has shown a fondness for the platform, crediting it with helping him connect with younger voters. The ongoing delays indicate a hesitance to let the popular app disappear from the U.S. market while negotiations for a secure American ownership structure are still in progress.