Trump signs order to delay TikTok ban for 75 days

Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will give TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, a 75-day extension to either sell its US stake of the app or face an outright ban in the country.

He said during this period, the US will not enforce the law passed by Congress last year and signed off by former president Joe Biden.

The announcement came within hours of his inauguration on Monday and followed a whirlwind period in which TikTok went dark for more than 12 hours over the weekend, until Trump pledged to delay the ban.

He told reporters at the Oval Office that the US “should be entitled to get half of TikTok” if the app is to continue operating beyond the 75-day extension. 

Trump went on to warn China against blocking any deal he makes, adding that he could “certainly put tariffs of 25%, 30%, 50% and even 100%”, which would be a “hostile act."

Under the executive order, companies that distribute and host TikTok—including Apple, Google and cloud provider Oracle—would not be held liable for violating the law during the extended period. However, under the law, service providers risk fines of $5,000 per user if they continue to host or distribute the app once the ban is enforced.

Josh Little, head of Social at Incubeta, said CMOs can no longer afford to ignore the TikTok saga.

“The potential TikTok ban underscores the need for marketers to remain agile. Some of the 170 million US users have already begun migrating to alternatives like Xiaohongshu (REDnote), and with Elon Musk exploring the return of Vine, the shift to new platforms is underway,” he added. 

“This serves as a reminder to brands of the importance of adaptability in a shifting social media landscape. Should TikTok disappear from the US market, creators and their teams are likely to migrate to established platforms such as Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, potentially consolidating power further within a few dominant players. 

“This migration highlights why brands must maintain a strong presence across multiple platforms now—ensuring they can pivot alongside their audience and remain visible in key spaces.”

Mary Jo Behrman, head of marketing and customer lifecycle at Designit agreed, adding that it is a “timely reminder of how volatile the social media landscape is."

“It highlights the importance of not putting your eggs into one social basket—not just to manage risks like bans, but to adapt to a constantly evolving ecosystem, from Meta’s policy changes to the rise of new platforms like Bluesky and RedNote,” he said.

“For brands, this is less about panic and more about preparation. Diversifying platforms and staying flexible with your content strategy ensures you’re not caught off guard when changes happen. [...] Brands need to therefore consider how their actions affect reputation, privacy, and trust alongside their broader marketing goals.”

This article first appeared on Performance Marketing World.