Trump says will issue executive order on Jan. 20 to reprieve on TikTok ban

President-elect Donald Trump announced today, Jan. 19, that he will issue an executive order on Jan. 20, immediately upon taking office, to freeze the TikTok ban.

He proposed that US investors acquire a 50% stake in the app’s U.S. operations, currently owned by a Chinese company.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “I want the United States to have a 50% ownership stake in a joint structure.” He said the order would provide enough time “to finalize a deal.” As of Saturday, TikTok is no longer available in the U.S., where it has 170 million users.

The law, passed by Congress in 2024, officially took effect on Sunday. Before the ban, U.S. users saw a message on TikTok stating, “A law banning TikTok in the United States has been implemented. This means you can no longer use TikTok at this time.”

The legislation allows the US president to delay the ban for 90 days to secure a buyer for TikTok’s US operations. However, ByteDance, the Chinese owner, has refused to sell. Despite launching just a decade ago, TikTok has become essential for young internet users.

Trump urged internet providers and app stores to restore TikTok immediately, assuring them that his order would protect them from penalties.

The law imposes heavy fines, with app stores facing up to $5,000 per user for violating the ban.