Trump signs order delaying TikTok ban: What happens now?

(NEXSTAR) — Among the slew of executive orders President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office was one delaying the TikTok ban.

The order calls on Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, to not enforce the law banning the video-sharing app while his administration determines "the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans."

The ban — which passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed into law by former President Joe Biden — was set to take effect on Sunday. TikTok shut down its app for more than 12 hours, starting on Saturday, until it became clear that Trump would delay enforcement of the ban. TikTok then credited his "efforts" when it restored the app on Sunday.

Trump previously supported the TikTok ban but told reporters while signing the order Monday night that he has "a warm spot for TikTok that I didn't have originally" after being on the app. You can watch his full conversation with reporters on TikTok in the video player above.

So what happens now?

How long will TikTok be available?

Trump's order says the TikTok ban should not be enforced for "a period of 75 days" from Monday, which would be Sunday, April 5.

TikTok could avoid a ban altogether if it is sold to an American company, as outlined in the law, before that date. The law did offer TikTok a 90-day extension on the ban if it was making progress toward a sale before the original effective date of Sunday, January 19. It's unclear if that 90-day extension could be activated now that the effective date has passed.

“Executive orders cannot override existing laws,” Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute, told the Associated Press. “It’s not clear that the new president has that authority to issue the 90-day extension of a law that’s already gone into effect.”

I don't have TikTok — can I still download it?

If you use app stores from Apple and Google, the answer is no.

A search for TikTok in both app stores provided no results as of Tuesday morning. As of Monday night, Apple’s app store directed TikTok searches to an online statement that reads in part: “Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.” Google’s app store, meanwhile, noted that downloads for TikTok “are paused due to current US legal requirements.”

Will someone buy TikTok?

"Every rich person has called me about TikTok," Trump said Monday night. Though he did not identify those individuals, many of the wealthiest people in the world — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg — were in the front rows of his inauguration.

He also suggested the U.S. "should get half" of TikTok if he does "do the deal," adding that "a joint venture with the people from TikTok" is "one of the many ideas I've had." He elaborated, explaining "the U.S., essentially, would be paid for doing that half of the value of TikTok."

"If it doesn't get approved, there's no value. So if we create that value, why aren't we entitled to like, half?"

When asked if there would be a private sector owner, Trump said there "could be a lot." Several businessmen have reportedly been taking steps to purchase TikTok from ByteDance.

"I may not do the deal, or I may do the deal," Trump said Monday. "TikTok is worthless, worthless if I don't approve it. It has to close."

Although ByteDance spent months repeating it wasn't interested in selling, Beijing on Monday also signaled a possible easing on China's stance on TikTok to allow it to be divested from its Chinese parent company. China’s vice president held meetings with Vice President JD Vance and Tesla tech titan Elon Musk on Sunday.

Trump also told reporters that he believes "we have bigger problems than" China collecting information from children on TikTok.

"You know, when you take a look at telephones that are made in China and all the other things that are made in China, military equipment made in China," he said, "I think TikTok is not their biggest problem. But there's big value in TikTok if it gets approved."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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