Trump Delays TikTok Ban Yet Again; Legal Challenges Loom
By Editor • June 17, 2025 • 2 min read
In a controversial move that has raised eyebrows among lawmakers, President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This marks the third extension of its kind, with the new deadline now set for mid-September, as confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The administration plans to utilize the next 90 days to finalize a deal that would allow American users to continue accessing TikTok, while ensuring the safety of their data. However, the legal framework protecting service providers like Oracle and Apple from significant penalties remains tenuous.
Originally initiated on January 20, these extensions offer limited legal protection under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, but critics argue that such cover is not solid since the extensions lack formal legislative backing. The bipartisan law has been upheld by the Supreme Court as constitutional.
Efforts to broker a deal between ByteDance and Oracle were nearly successful in April but collapsed due to Trump’s tariffs. With trade tensions between the U.S. and China easing somewhat, there are still no signs of a revived agreement. Concerns linger about whether China would permit ByteDance to relinquish the algorithm that drives TikTok’s video recommendations.
Several lawmakers have voiced their discontent with these ongoing extensions, labeling them as potentially illegal. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner expressed that the situation is “against the law,” insisting that any solution must involve the transfer of the algorithm away from Chinese control. Other senators have cautioned that continued delays could expose U.S. companies to severe legal repercussions.
With no legal challenges yet filed against Trump’s actions, the question remains: how long can this stalemate persist? As some Republicans call for a more definitive resolution, there is uncertainty about what might come next in this unfolding drama.
Source: www.theverge.com
