Trump Signs Executive Order Giving ByteDance 90 Days to Sell US TikTok Business

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order giving ByteDance 90 days to sell its TikTok business in the United States, citing evidence of possible national security threats from the China-based company.

tiktok logo
In the order, the Trump Administration said there's "credible evidence" to suggest that ByteDance "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."

The order also requires ByteDance to destroy all U.S. user data within the 90-day window, and the company will need to "certify in writing" to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States that the data was deleted.

The move, which comes just over a week after Trump signed an executive order that would prohibit "any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" with ByteDance in 45 days, now gives the company a bit more time to formulate a decision on the app's future.

More recently, it was reported that TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration and challenge the President's previous executive order that would ban the video sharing platform from the United States.

TikTok can avoid a potential ban by selling its United States business to an American-based company. Microsoft has publicly confirmed its intention to purchase TikTok in the U.S. within 45 days, and the company is currently in discussions with ByteDance. Twitter has also reportedly expressed interest in a possible acquisition of the service.

In a statement to The Verge, ByteDance said that "TikTok is loved by 100 million Americans because it is a home for entertainment, self-expression, and connection," and the company is "committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on [its] platform for many years to come."

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: China, TikTok

Top Rated Comments

haydn! Avatar
34 months ago
Best interests for the US or not aside, it’s worrying that the President has the power to literally dictate stuff like this - without any consultation with the broader governing system. A very dangerous precedent is being set here!
Score: 99 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krizoitz Avatar
34 months ago

Thank you President Trump keep up the good work.
Of allowing thousands of Americans to die from COVID each day?
Of removing American military forces in areas that benefits Russia?
Of funneling millions of tax payer dollars to his personal businesses?
Of supporting and defending literal NAZI’s?
Of appointing cronies with no qualifications and massive conflicts of interest to head numerous government agencies?
Of ordering secret police to attack American citizens in violation of their constitutional rights?


Which disaster of Trumps are you particularly proud of?
Score: 84 Votes (Like | Disagree)
threesixty360 Avatar
34 months ago
So it’s now possible for one man to circumvent the American constitution, congress and the senate, basically all governing bodies and order the shut down of an American company without providing any evidence of law breaking or intent to break the law.

And do this without the company having any legal means to challenge this?

it Makes me wonder why half the country is up in arms about threats to the 1st and 2nd amendments but are totally happy with this one?

surely this undermines the basic freedom of America and is more inline with a dictatorship than a democracy?

Weird.
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fumi2014 Avatar
34 months ago
Trump Campaign: "Pandemic? No, the important thing to Americans right now are privacy issues with a Chinese Social Media app."
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnipgnop Avatar
34 months ago
"credible evidence" to suggest that ByteDance "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."

In other words, it is entirely based on conjecture about possible future actions, not evidence of wrongdoing that has already occurred. In a court of law, that would be a non-starter.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
826317 Avatar
34 months ago
You can look at this from many different perspectives, but it is undoubtedly in the best interest of the US to do this.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...