Will TikTok be banned on June 19? Trump says he'll extend deadline yet again, if needed
"It’ll be protected. It’ll be very strongly protected. But if it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension," President Donald Trump said during an NBC News interview.
The fate of TikTok continues to be up in the air, months after federal legislation effectively banned the social media platform in the United States.
President Donald Trump said during a NBC News interview over the weekend that he would extend the latest TikTok ban deadline if a deal isn't struck by June 19, a date he set by executive order in April. TikTok's Chinese parent company has until June 19 to divest the social media platform, or face a ban in the U.S.
"I’d like to see it done," Trump said about the divestment, adding that he has a "little sweet spot" in his heart for TikTok, which he claims helped him win votes during the 2024 presidential election. "It’ll be protected. It’ll be very strongly protected. But if it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension."
The White House did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by Paste BN on May 6.
As yet another deadline looms, here's what to know about the social media app.
Will TikTok get banned on June 19?
If ByteDance does not divest TikTok by June 19, it could be banned in the U.S. again. However, Trump has stated that if a sale is not finalized in time, he will extend the deadline.
Is Trump allowed to extend the TikTok ban deadline again?
Under federal legislation that put the ban in place, the president can implement a 90-day extension on the deadline to sell. But Trump didn't take this route in January or April, instead, he signed executive orders delaying the ban by 75 days. If Trump wishes to sign another executive order ahead of the June 19 deadline, he can.
Why is TikTok getting banned again?
In January, TikTok went dark for a little more than 12 hours in the U.S. after the app was effectively banned under federal legislation. U.S. internet hosting services made TikTok unavailable to access, and app stores removed the app for download.
This federal legislation was signed by former President Joe Biden in 2024. The legislation gave ByteDance until Jan. 19, 2025 to divest TikTok or face a ban. Some politicians see TikTok as a national security threat, expressing concern that ByteDance may be sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government. ByteDance has denied these claims, which remain unsubstantiated.
During the short-lived January shutdown, Trump promised internet hosting services and app stores that they could restore TikTok and not face legal penalties. Under the federal legislation, companies could be fined $5,000 per user they help access TikTok. For companies like Google and Apple, this could mean a $5,000 fine for each user who downloads or updates TikTok.
Internet hosting services like Oracle didn't waste time rebooting the app, but it wasn't until Feb. 13 that TikTok became available again in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.