President Trump has signed an executive order to extend the deadline for TikTok to operate in the U.S. for another 90 days. This move is aimed at allowing more time for the administration to negotiate a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership.

This marks the third time that President Trump has extended the deadline. The first extension was made through an executive order on January 20, his first day in office. The second extension occurred in April when a potential deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with U.S. ownership fell through after China withdrew following Trump's tariff announcement.

It remains uncertain how many more times President Trump can or will extend the ban. The government is actively working to secure a deal for TikTok, which is currently owned by China's ByteDance. Despite the lack of a clear legal basis for these extensions, there have been no legal challenges against them so far.

President Trump has gained over 15 million followers on TikTok since joining last year and has acknowledged the platform's role in helping him connect with young voters. He has expressed a fondness for TikTok, stating that he has a "warm spot" for it.

As the extensions persist, the likelihood of a TikTok ban in the U.S. diminishes. While the decision to keep TikTok operational through an executive order has faced scrutiny, it has not been legally challenged in court, unlike many other executive orders issued by President Trump.

For now, TikTok remains accessible to its 170 million users in the U.S. Major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle have agreed to continue offering and supporting the app under the condition that the Justice Department will not impose hefty fines on them.

A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that Americans are divided on whether TikTok should be banned. Approximately one-third of respondents supported a ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Concerns over data security risks were cited as a key reason for supporting a ban.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized the Trump administration for disregarding national security risks posed by a China-controlled TikTok. He emphasized that an executive order cannot bypass the law, despite the president's attempts to do so.