TikTok Won’t Go Dark Yet; Trump Gives App Another Reprieve As China Tariffs Now Linked To Deal

deadline.com:

TikTok will not be going dark Saturday for the more than 135 million users of the social media app, thanks to Donald Trump.

Pummeled by bad news and a cratering stock market in response to his global tariffs unveiled Wednesday, aka “Liberation Day,” Trump tried to throw up a distraction Friday with word that he is tossing aside the April 5 deadline he set for a sale or a U.S.

ban of the app, giving the ByteDance-owned platform until late June to comply. “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,” Trump posted today during a break from golfing in Florida. “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 U.S.A.!),” he added, as rumors of various potential bidders like Amazon and Oracle boss and Trump pal Larry Ellison have been in the air all week.

An advocate during his first term to shut down TikTok for national security reasons, Trump became opposed to a ban during the 2024 election after Congress and Joe Biden brought in new legislation to curtail the platform.