Trump signs executive order to keep TikTok operating in U.S.

by

President Trump signed an order on Thursday that would let the popular social media app TikTok keep running in the United States.

TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, was facing pressure to either sell off its U.S. business or have the app banned across the country. This was because of worries about the company’s connections to the Chinese government and potential security risks.

Hollywood Inc.

On Friday, Trump said he’s agreed with China’s president to allow the popular app TikTok to continue operating in the United States.

Although Congress approved a law to ban TikTok starting in January, President Trump has consistently issued orders permitting the app to remain available in the United States.

According to an agreement reportedly approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, TikTok will operate in the U.S. through a new company primarily owned by American investors. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, would own less than 20% of this new venture.

About 170 million Americans use TikTok, known for its viral entertaining videos.

In his executive order, Trump explained that these measures were designed to keep Americans’ data safe and prevent foreign interference, while still letting the many TikTok users, content creators, and businesses in the U.S. continue to use the app.

Former President Trump, who previously tried to ban TikTok in the United States, stated at a recent press conference that he believes the current agreement addresses security issues.

Trump stated the main reason for something not happening is that it’s owned by Americans who love the country and are very intelligent, and therefore wouldn’t allow it to occur.

On Thursday, Donald Trump revealed that Larry Ellison of Oracle, Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, and media executive Rupert Murdoch were all part of the TikTok deal. According to Vice President JD Vance, the new company that would manage TikTok’s U.S. operations is estimated to be worth approximately $14 billion.

Hollywood Inc.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration shared further information about an agreement that would allow TikTok to continue functioning in the United States. This came after lawmakers expressed worries about the app’s connections to China and potential security risks.

Rupert Murdoch is likely to invest in the deal through his company, Fox Corp., according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Fox Corp. owns Fox News, and many of its commentators publicly support Donald Trump.

I’m really glad to hear that the technology behind everything will be managed by the new partnership. And it’s a huge relief that any private information from American users will be securely stored by a U.S.-based cloud provider – that’s a really important detail for peace of mind.

Last Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Fox News that Oracle would be responsible for handling U.S. data and privacy related to the app.

Ellison is a Trump ally who is the world’s second-richest person, according to Forbes.

TikTok has been working with Oracle since October 2022 to protect U.S. user data. According to TikTok, any new data from American users is now stored on Oracle’s secure servers, rather than on TikTok’s or its parent company ByteDance’s servers.

After successfully acquiring Paramount, a historic Hollywood studio, Ellison is now planning a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind popular channels like HBO, TNT, and CNN.

Senator Vance emphasized that the agreement prioritizes the security of Americans’ data. He explained that it guarantees American control over the algorithm, preventing its potential use for propaganda by foreign governments.

TikTok, which has a large presence in Los Angeles, did not respond to a request for comment.

The specifics of the TikTok agreement remain uncertain. Last week, Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping spoke by phone and discussed the deal. Officials from both countries have until December 16th to work out the final details.

Read More

2025-09-26 01:32