Trump extends TikTok sale deadline to September
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok's ban by another 90 days to mid September.
The move is aimed at giving his administration more time to negotiate a deal that would bring the popular social media platform under American ownership.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark."
Previous extensions
Two previous deadline extensions
This is the third time Trump has extended the TikTok ban deadline.
The first extension was on January 20, after a national ban approved by Congress and upheld by the US Supreme Court went into effect.
The second reprieve came in April when White House officials were close to spinning off TikTok into a new company with US ownership, but China backed out after Trump's tariff announcement.
Ongoing negotiations
TikTok's uncertain future
The future of TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, remains uncertain as the government continues to negotiate a deal.
There is no clear legal basis for the extensions but no legal challenges have been mounted against them either.
Despite the ongoing situation, Trump has amassed over 15 million followers on TikTok and credited it with helping him connect with young voters.
Analyst's view
'Deadline purgatory': Analyst on TikTok's US situation
Jeremy Goldman, an analyst at Emarketer, has termed TikTok's US situation as a "deadline purgatory."
He said the whole thing "is starting to feel less like a ticking clock and more like a looped ringtone. This political Groundhog Day is starting to resemble the debt ceiling drama: a recurring threat with no real resolution."
Survey findings
Pew Research Center survey on TikTok ban
A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that public opinion on the TikTok ban is still divided.
About one-third of Americans backed TikTok's ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third opposed the ban and a similar percentage remained unsure.
Among those supporting the ban, around 80% cited concerns over data security as a major factor in their decision-making process.