On Friday, President Donald Trump announced he is signing an executive order to extend TikTok’s operation in the United States by an additional 75 days. Originally mandated by Congress to be divested from China by Jan. 19 or face a ban due to national security concerns, Trump unilaterally extended the deadline to allow more time for a deal facilitating U.S. ownership of the platform. Negotiations have been ongoing with American companies showing interest, although TikTok’s parent company, China’s ByteDance, maintains that the platform is not for sale. Trump stated the extension is necessary to finalize approvals required for the deal.
U.S. officials, across administrations, have warned that Chinese national security laws could compel ByteDance to share user data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
This includes data like location tracking, browsing behavior, facial recognition and personal messages from millions of U.S. users—especially concerning for military personnel and government employees.
Intelligence agencies have flagged TikTok’s content algorithm as a potential tool for influencing U.S. public opinion, especially among younger Americans. There is evidence the platform suppresses or amplifies political narratives in ways that align with Beijing’s interests.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Reports have shown that TikTok has restricted or removed content critical of the Chinese government, including topics like Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong protests and Uyghur human rights abuses.
Dozens of states and federal agencies have banned TikTok on government devices. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have backed efforts to restrict or ban the app nationally if it remains under Chinese control.
Trump initially sought to ban TikTok in 2020 via executive order unless it was sold to a U.S. company. He even supported a forced sale to Oracle and Walmart, citing national security concerns.
During his time out of office, he appeared more ambivalent, occasionally defending the platform as a popular outlet for young Americans and criticizing then-President Biden for failing to act decisively.
Now back in office, Trump’s administration is walking a fine line, acknowledging the risks and backing legislation mandating divestment from ByteDance while allowing more time for a U.S.-based acquisition deal to take shape—possibly to avoid backlash from TikTok’s large American user base.
Approximately 150 million Americans use TikTok. Of the approximately ~68 to 70 million Gen Z Americans, people born between 1997 and 2012, ~60% to 70% are active TikTok users.
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, President Trump dramatically increased his support among Gen Z voters compared to recent elections. According to exit polls, Trump secured approximately 47% of the votes from individuals aged 18 to 29, a significant rise from the 36% he received in 2020.
This uptick in support among young voters, particularly young men, played an important part in Trump’s 1.8% popular vote victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Patrick Houck is an avid political aficionado based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. When not analyzing the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends, trying out highly recommended hiking trails or daydreaming about his next scuba diving trip.
