Donald Trump delays US TikTok ban again
Donald Trump has signed an executive order to keep TikTok running in the US for another 90 days to give his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership.
It is the third time the president has extended the deadline. The first one was through an executive order on January 20, his first day in office, after the platform went dark briefly when a national ban — approved by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court — took effect.
Advertisement
The second was in April when White House officials believed they were nearing a deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with US ownership that fell apart after China backed out after Mr Trump's tariff announcement.
It is not clear how many times he can — or will — keep extending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance. While there is no clear legal basis for the extensions, so far there have been no legal challenges to fight them.
Mr Trump has gained more than 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined last year, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters. He said in January that he has a 'warm spot for TikTok'.
As the extensions continue, it appears less likely that TikTok will be banned in the US any time soon. The decision to keep the site alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court, unlike many of Mr Trump's other executive orders.
Advertisement
Jeremy Goldman, analyst at Emarketer, called TikTok's US situation 'deadline purgatory'.
The whole thing 'is starting to feel less like a ticking clock and more like a looped ringtone. This political Groundhog Day is starting to resemble the debt ceiling drama: a recurring threat with no real resolution'.
Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP)
For now, TikTok continues to function for its 170 million users in the US, and tech giants Apple, Google and Oracle were persuaded to continue to support the app, on the promise that Mr Trump's Justice Department would not use the law to seek potentially steep fines against them.
Americans are even more closely divided on what to do about TikTok than they were two years ago.
Advertisement
A recent Pew Research Centre survey found that about a third of Americans supported a ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly a third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they were not sure.
Among those who supported a ban, about eight in 10 cited concerns over users' data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report.
Democratic senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the Trump administration is again 'flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks' posed by a China-controlled TikTok.
'An executive order can't sidestep the law, but that's exactly what the president is trying to do,' he added.
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
US drops charges against LA protester accused of assaulting officers: ‘A huge relief'
Federal prosecutors in California have moved to dismiss charges against a Los Angeles protester accused of assaulting border patrol agents, a major victory for the demonstrator who said he himself was brutally attacked by law enforcement. US attorney Bill Essayli, a Donald Trump appointee, filed a motion on Wednesday to dismiss a complaint against Jose Manuel Mojica, a 30-year-old Los Angeles resident who was present at one of the first major protests of immigration raids in southern California this month. Mojica, a father of four born in LA, came forward last week to the Guardian, which published footage of his arrest by a group of officers. Mojica, who strongly rejected the charges, was facing eight years in federal prison over the 7 June arrest, which left him injured. 'I feel a huge relief,' Mojica said on Thursday. He had spent two nights in jail and has been forced to wear an ankle monitor for nearly two weeks. 'They knew they were in the wrong and they didn't want to face the court. The truth is always going to come out in the end.' Mojica was one of nine people arrested and charged with federal crimes in a first round of charges that the Trump administration highlighted as evidence of violence by protesters. On Wednesday, US prosecutors also moved to dismiss the charges against a second protester who was arrested at the same time as Mojica and who was seen on footage being shoved by a federal agent. Civil rights advocates and defense attorneys who analyzed the Department of Justice's criminal complaints and footage of the incidents have scrutinized the prosecutions, arguing that in some cases authorities were misrepresenting events, going after people who were themselves injured by officers and criminalizing free speech. The US attorney's office and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday about the dismissal of charges. After hearing reports of Ice indiscriminately targeting workers and neighbors in his predominantly Latino community, Mojica said he went to the demonstration in Paramount, in southern LA county near his home. He had not participated in protests since marching with his father as a child, but after seeing how Ice caused widespread fear and panic in the region, and as a US citizen, he wanted to support the rally. Mojica, who works at warehouses in the region unloading shipping containers, said the situation escalated when increasing numbers of heavily armed agents arrived. Grainy cellphone footage, including video taken by his spouse, captured the moment when he was arrested in a chaotic scuffle. While some demonstrators shouted at officers, one agent was seen forcefully shoving a protester standing near Mojica. The videos did not clearly show what happened next, but Mojica said he was trying to de-escalate the situation and stop the protester who was shoved from retaliating. A crowd of officers then quickly took them both to the ground. 'I thought I was going to die at that moment and never get up from the ground and see my kids again,' Mojica said last week. 'I couldn't breathe.' He said officers held him in a chokehold and pushed him into the pavement, causing a large contusion on his nose and bruises all over his body – some of which were visible four days later. At one point during his arrest and transport, an officer told him he could be facing 20 years in prison, he recalled. Mojica, who had no criminal record, was charged alongside three other co-defendants he said he didn't know. A criminal affidavit included few details about Mojica but alleged he 'elbowed and pushed' border patrol agents and 'physically made an attempt to thwart [the other protester's] arrest'. Prosecutors' two-page filing to dismiss Mojica's case provided no details on the decision, but said the request was 'made in good faith and in the interest of justice'. A judge still has to sign the order. 'Based on the video, I knew my client did nothing wrong,' Meghan Blanco, Mojica's attorney and a former federal prosecutor, said on Thursday. 'There was no scenario that I could see this case moving forward in a manner that would have been helpful to the government. Once they had an opportunity to look at the video themselves, I think they very quickly came to the same conclusion.' Blanco, who previously prosecuted use-of-force cases against federal agents, said Mojica's case was not unique. 'I'm hopeful this is just the first of many [dismissals] for protesters who were charged with violating the law simply based on the fact that they were protesting and exercising their constitutional rights, not because they were being violent or doing anything illegal,' Blanco said. The impacts of the prosecution have been significant, she noted. Essayli, the US attorney, earlier posted Mojica's photo and name on X, formerly Twitter, announcing his arrest and saying the government would 'continue to arrest anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement'. The post led to widespread comments calling for Mojica, a US citizen, to be deported. Mojica said he had been suffering flashbacks from his arrest and was still struggling with pain in his back and ribs from his injuries, in addition to having difficulty sleeping. 'I want people to know they are not alone, there are a lot of people on our side, and they know how the officers treat people,' he said. 'And if people know they are innocent, they should keep fighting and don't be intimidated.'
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
LA supervisor warns of ICE impersonators after masked men profile staffer's godson
A Los Angeles County supervisor is warning community members about people impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after masked men allegedly profiled and threatened a staff member's godson following days of actual ICE raids around the city. During a Tuesday meeting, Supervisor Kathryn Barger recounted the story of two masked men in an unmarked vehicle with flashing lights allegedly pulling over a staff member's godson, then making a derogatory comment that he was driving a 'nice truck for someone with that surname,' the Los Angeles Times reports. The men then attempted to enter the vehicle, but fled once a crowd began recording the encounter. 'I do believe there may be people out there impersonating ICE, taking advantage of this population,' Barger said, adding that she called ICE about the incident and got no response. The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles ICE field office for comment. The warnings come after days of heightened tensions around Los Angeles, following a string of aggressive ICE raids around the city, as well as mass protests against the enforcement that prompted the Trump administration to send National Guard troops and Marines into the area over the objection of local and state officials. Individuals in at least three states have been arrested this year for impersonating ICE agents, who often use face masks and unmarked vehicles in legitimate operations. In a January incident in South Carolina, a man was charged with kidnapping and impersonating police after allegedly detaining a group of Latino men in Charleston County, accosting them for speaking Spanish, and yelling, 'You're going back to Mexico!' That same month, a North Carolina man allegedly impersonated an ICE agent and threatened a woman with deportation to coerce her into having sex with him. California lawmakers are pushing to largely ban federal law enforcement agents from wearing face masks, and congressional Democrats have compared the masked agents to dictatorial secret police. 'We're seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing and disappearing people,' California State Senator Scott Wiener, wrote on X this week, introducing the mask ban bill. The Trump administration insists masks are needed to protect immigration officers against a spike in threats and assaults against them.
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Carney threatens to raise tariffs on US if Trump talks fail
Mark Carney has threatened to increase Canadian tariffs on US steel if crunch trade talks with President Trump fail. On Thursday, the Canadian prime minister said he would amend his country's 25pc tariff on US steel and aluminium imports to a level 'consistent with the progress' of the negotiations. He added that he wanted to 'reinforce' his country's strength in negotiations with the US president as he announced a sweeping package of measures aimed at hurting American exports. The move paves the way for Canada to increase its counter-tariffs if talks fail, or reduce them if Mr Trump makes concessions. Mr Carney discussed tariffs with Mr Trump earlier this week and both leaders have agreed to begin a month-long series of negotiations. He said: 'We'll take all the time we need to get the best deal for Canada, but no longer. And seeing progress that's been made, President Trump and I agreed to pursue negotiations towards a deal within the coming 30 days. 'We'll continue these negotiations, of course, in good faith. In parallel, we must reinforce our strength at home and safeguard Canadian workers and businesses from the unjust US tariffs that exist at present.' The talks come three months after President Trump imposed 25pc tariffs on all imported steel and aluminium, and weeks after he raised them to 50pc. The measure is especially punishing for Canada because it is the largest supplier of foreign steel and aluminium to US markets. Mr Carney said late on Thursday that Canada would raise its counter-tariffs if a deal is not reached within 30 days. 'Canada will adjust its existing counter-tariffs on US steel and aluminium products on June 21, at the end of that 30-day period ... to levels consistent with the progress that's made at that point on the broader trading arrangements with the United States,' he said. Mr Carney, a former Governor of the Bank of England, also announced plans to ban Canadian government products from using US steel unless the world's largest economy offers tariff-free access to Canadian steel. The measures come after repeated attacks on the usually close US-Canadian relationship by Mr Trump. Since being elected last November, the US president has repeatedly called for Canada to become America's 51st state. Mr Trump announced a series of tariff increases on Canada, with the White House claiming in February that the US was responding to a 'national emergency' caused by the 'extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs'. Leaders at the G7 summit in Canada on Monday pushed Mr Trump to back away from his punishing trade war. Mr Trump said that he believed that scoring a deal with Canada in the coming weeks was 'achievable'.
