Trump signs ‘Saving TikTok’ order to start resolving its big ban problem

President Donald Trump has signed an enforcement order recognizing the model of a woody betwixt ByteDance and the US that would fulfill the TikTok divest-or-ban law. The woody values TikTok’s US operations astatine $14 cardinal and puts it nether the power of companies based successful the US.

“I spoke with President Xi [Jinping], we had a bully talk,” Trump said during a briefing. “I told him what we were doing, and helium said, ‘Go up with it.’”

TikTok “will beryllium majority-owned and controlled by United States persons,” portion ByteDance volition ain little than 20 percent, “with the remainder being held by definite investors.” The bid states that TikTok’s US-based operations volition person a caller committee of directors that volition person to travel rules to support American information and nationalist security, portion TikTok’s proposal algorithm, code, and contented moderation strategy successful the US volition travel nether the power of its caller owners.

CNBC’s David Faber says Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, which is based successful Abu Dhabi, volition get a 45 percent involvement successful TikTok’s US company. Investors successful TikTok’s China-based genitor company, ByteDance, volition get 35 percent, according to CNBC.

When asked whether TikTok’s algorithm volition amusement MAGA-related content, Trump responded, “If I could marque it 100 percent MAGA, I would. But it’s not going to enactment retired that way, unfortunately.” Trump added that, “every group, each philosophy, each argumentation volition beryllium treated fairly.”

Since coming into office, Trump has continued to propulsion backmost the deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese genitor institution arsenic negotiations dragged on. Last Friday, President Donald Trump said helium “made progress” connected an statement with China, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later stating that the medication is “100% assured that a woody is done.”

Just 1 time earlier TikTok’s astir caller prohibition enforcement deadline connected September 16th, Trump announced that helium would extend it a 4th time portion the US continues moving retired a deal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referenced a imaginable agreement up of the extension, telling reporters that the US and China person reached a “framework” deal, and Trump said that large companies were lined up to bargain into it.

Trump was the archetypal to effort a TikTok prohibition successful 2020, and the thought gained bipartisan enactment nether Biden, resulting successful a 2024 divest-or-ban law. Critics of TikTok contended the app could beryllium utilized for surveillance oregon propaganda by the Chinese government, rejecting thing abbreviated of a afloat sale. But Trump’s ain stance softened, helium said, successful portion owed to his popularity connected the app — and a imaginable backlash from young voters during the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination apt didn’t hurt. “Is it that important for China to beryllium spying connected young people?” helium said successful January 2025. “On young kids watching brainsick videos?”

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