President Trump said on Friday that he was open to a fourth extension of the deadline for when TikTok had to be separated from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or face a ban in the United States.
The popular short-form video app has until mid-September to find a new owner under a federal law that requires the company to change its ownership structure to resolve national security concerns. That’s after its deadline was extended first in January, then in April and later in June. The administration has “very substantial American buyers” lined up to acquire the firm, Mr. Trump said on Friday, echoing comments that he had made in June. But, he said, a deal, which would require China’s approval, may not be reached in time for the deadline next month.
“I haven’t spoken to President Xi about it — at the right time, I’ll do it,” Mr. Trump said, referring to China’s leader, Xi Jinping. “In the meantime, until the complexity of things work out, we just extend a little bit longer. But we have buyers.”
The delays involving the law, which passed with wide bipartisan support and originally called for a sale by January, have raised serious questions about the limits of presidential power and the rule of law in the United States. Some legal experts say that the actions represent an alarming expansion of presidential authority.
Mr. Trump did not indicate who might be interested in buying TikTok, which has 170 million users in the United States. This year, officials in Washington had coalesced around a plan to bring on a group of new U.S. investors that included private equity giants and venture capital firms.
Another extension would clash with some recent comments from Trump administration officials, who have suggested taking a harder line on TikTok. Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said last month that the app would “go dark” if China did not approve a deal for TikTok.
Lawmakers and intelligence officials have argued for years that TikTok poses a national security risk under Chinese ownership, because Beijing could use the app to seek sensitive data on Americans or to spread propaganda to advance its policy goals. TikTok has pushed back, saying it has safeguards in place to prevent such tampering.
Mr. Trump made the comments on Friday at a museum run by the White House Historical Association.
Ashley Ahn contributed reporting from New York.
Sapna Maheshwari reports on TikTok, technology and emerging media companies. She has been a business reporter for more than a decade. Contact her at [email protected].
The post Trump Signals Fourth Delay of TikTok Ban appeared first on New York Times.
