This Could Be The Week TikTok Is Banned

The latest developments regarding the potential ban on TikTok in the United States center around efforts to avert the enforcement of a federal law set to take effect on  Saturday, April 5.. The law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024, mandates that TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, divest the app to an American buyer by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. The Supreme Court upheld this law on January 17, 2025, rejecting TikTok’s First Amendment challenge, citing national security concerns over data collection by the Chinese government.

However, President Donald Trump, upon taking office on January 20, 2025, issued an executive order delaying enforcement of the ban by 75 days. The reprieve came after TikTok briefly went offline on January 18, 2025, only to resume service the next day following Trump’s promise to negotiate a solution. Trump’s order instructed the Attorney General not to enforce the ban during this period, aiming to facilitate a sale that addresses security concerns while keeping the app operational.

The latest reports indicate that Vice President JD Vance, alongside Trump’s national security adviser Michael Waltz, is actively working on a deal to prevent the ban. Posts on X and various news outlets suggest that an announcement could be imminent, possibly within this week, detailing a transaction with an investor group to keep TikTok in the U.S. This deal might involve a grace period to finalize terms, potentially altering the app’s algorithm or feed to mitigate espionage fears linked to ByteDance’s Chinese ownership. Trump has also hinted at broader negotiations, suggesting on March 27, 2025, that China might agree to a TikTok sale in exchange for tariff reductions, though TikTok has dismissed rumors of specific buyers like Elon Musk as speculative.

The situation remains fluid.