TikTok faces US ban again as Trump weighs up lifeline before deadline

President Donald Trump holds the fate of 170 million TikTok users as a ban nears, and a potential second blackout is on the table.

TikTok users are facing another potential blackout as the deadline for divestment looms, leaving 170 million TikTokers to be forced to scroll on Instagram reels.

TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance has until 19 of June to divest and address US official’s national security concerns, or face being shut down again.

US President Donald Trump must make a decision on whether to extend the deadline for a third time, after the divest-or-ban legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court after being passed by congress.

WHY IS TIKTOK FACING A BAN?

Legal stakeholders and US officials have been concerned about the alleged risks that TikTok poses to national security.

Officials repeatedly expressed concern that TikTok could be used as a platform to influence US citizens through algorithms and content, or even spy on Americans.

Although he has since defended the app, Mr Trump initially called for a TikTok ban during his first term in office.

“The irony in all of this is that Donald Trump was the first one to point out there’s a problem,” Senate Intelligence Committee top Democrat Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said when the app faced its first deadline.

Mr Warner said the Trump administration “did a great job of convincing me and overwhelming members of Congress” about banning TikTok.

TikTok launched “Project Texas” in 2022 which aimed to safeguard American user’s data and address concerns, but it was deemed insufficient by the Justice Department as frameworks would still allowed some US data to reach China.

The divest-or-ban law passed with bipartisan support, but as the deadline nears many are stepping out in defence of the app.

The divest-or-ban legislation passed through US congress as concerns mounted over the app’s potentiona threat to national security. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP)

HOW DID THE BAN COME ABOUT?

Former US president Joe Biden signed federal legislation which gave ByteDance until 19 January 2025 to sell or face a ban in the US, due to concerns about its links to the Chinese government.

ByteDance appealed the law on the basis of the First Amendment, but it was upheld by the US Supreme Court.

When the clock ran out, US users had very public meltdowns on other social media platforms as the app went dark on late January 18 in the US.

The 12-hour blackout, described as one of the hardest digital experiences for Gen Z and younger users, came to an end on the Sunday. The app began restoring services at around midday, following Mr Trump’s firm announcement of his intent to rescue the platform.

Mr Trump signed an executive order in January that delayed the enforcement of the law, in hopes of creating “a joint partnership” over TikTok.

In signing the deal, he hoped the US would receive 50 per cent ownership of the app.

“If I do the deal for the United States, I think we should get half,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday night.

“The U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok. And congratulations, TikTok has a good partner.”

The deadline for the sale was in April, as negotiations on selling continued to drag on, Mr Trump then signed a second executive order extending the deadline again – but this will expire on the 19 June 2025.

TikTok had already been banned before, during a 12-hour blackout on late 18 January 2025 before Mr Trump announced he will extend the deadline. Picture: AFP

IS TIKTOK STILL GOING TO BE BANNED?

Mr Trump has the option to continue extending the deadline, but it remains unclear how long he can continue to delay the sale date before ByteDance is forced to make a move.

While it is within Mr Trump’s discretion to continue signing executive orders delaying the ban, Congress may intervene and pass a law ordering a firm deadline.

This may occur sooner than thought, as his executive orders extending the deadline have not aligned well with all stakeholders.

“The deadline for Trump to follow the law passed 135 days ago. It is shocking that a bipartisan-backed law, signed by the former president and upheld by the Supreme Court, is being treated like a mere suggestion by the White House,” Consumer Choice Center media director Stephen Kent said.

Mr Trump has signalled he may extend the deadline a third time if a deal is not made this month.

He expressed support for the app during the 2024 election, as he heralded the app as a safeguard to Meta’s dominance in the sector, and credited TikTok to helping him reach young voters in his re-election effort.

TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew sat in a prime spot during Mr Trump’s inauguration.

Many have since courted TikTok at the hope of buying the social media giant, including Mr Beast, Microsoft, and billionaire Frank McCourt Jr.

Mr Trump has hinted that he will throw TikTok another lifeline, after declaring the app helped him secure young voters, and inviting TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew to his inauguration. Picture: AFP

IF BANNED, WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR US USERS?

If the app is banned, it will most probably go dark in the US and shut down like on late January 18 2025.

This is because the legislation forces US cloud providers and app stores to stop hosting the service, or they will be fined.

Under the legislation, a hefty $5000 USD per user fine would be levelled on companies if they help those in the US access the app.

TikTok will be pulled from app stores and will no longer be available for download, as companies like Apple could face the $5000 fine for each user who downloads or updates the TikTok app.

Content creators will experience a $300 million USD impact within the first month, and small businesses could lose up to $1 million USD, according to TikTok estimates.

If banned, the app will likely go dark again as companies aim to avoid the hefty fines associated with continuing to host TikTok and Australian users will no longer be able to view new videos from US influencers. Picture: AFP

IS TIKTOK GETTING BANNED IN AUSTRALIA?

TikTok is not facing an outright ban down under, but Australian users are about to lose access to their favourite US influencers. While the app remains downloadable and updates will continue, the platform is set to undergo a significant shift.

This move follows growing data privacy concerns, with a ban already in place on all Australian government-issued devices. Despite the current stance, Australia could still follow the US’s lead in a more comprehensive ban.

However, this shake-up could be a golden opportunity for content creators from other regions to gain more prominence in a profitable marketing sector, which was previously dominated by American users.

Originally published as TikTok faces US ban again as Trump weighs up lifeline before deadline