President-elect Donald J. Trump said Sunday he would issue an executive order to halt a federal ban on TikTok, just hours after major app stores removed the popular social media site and stopped it from working for US users.
“I’m asking companies not to keep TikTok dark,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “On Monday, I will issue an executive order extending the period of time before the bill’s bans go into effect so that we can reach an agreement to protect our national security.”
The ban stems from a 2024 law that requires app stores and cloud computing providers to stop distributing or hosting TikTok unless its Chinese parent ByteDance sells it. Lawmakers passed the law amid concerns that the Chinese government could use the app, which claims roughly 170 million users in the United States, to collect information on Americans or spread propaganda.
App stores and cloud computing providers that do not comply with the law can face significant financial penalties. In his post on Sunday, Trump said he would “certify that he will not vouch for any company that helped prevent TikTok from shutting down before my order.” Mr. Trump did not provide further details about the planned order.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump’s efforts will succeed. His executive order could face a legal challenge, and companies subject to the law may decide it doesn’t provide enough assurance that they won’t be punished for violating the law, which was overwhelmingly passed in Congress.
This story is breaking and will be updated.