President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday saying he will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States in a manner that addresses national security concerns.
Trump's order will allow a group of U.S.-led investors to purchase the app from Chinese company ByteDance, although the deal has not yet closed and requires Chinese approval.
Much remains unknown about the ongoing deal, but Trump said Thursday at a signing ceremony at the White House that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to proceed with it.
"We've encountered some resistance from China, but the primary goal we wanted to achieve was to keep TikTok operating, while ensuring that Americans' data privacy is protected in accordance with the law," Vice President J.D. Vance added.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press to confirm China's approval. President Joe Biden signed legislation passed by Congress last year that would ban TikTok unless ByteDance sold its U.S. assets to an American company earlier this year.
Trump has repeatedly signed orders allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States while his administration tries to reach an agreement to sell the company.
The executive order itself is a declaration by the president that the proposed agreement meets the security concerns set forth in that law. It also gives all negotiating parties an additional 120 days to complete it. Trump said young people, in particular, "have been desperate for this to happen."
Any significant changes to the popular video platform could have a significant impact on how Americans consume information online, especially young people and teens.
According to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday, nearly 43% of American adults under the age of 30 say they regularly get news from TikTok, a higher percentage than any other social media app, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
When asked if he would like TikTok's U.S.-owned algorithm to suggest more content promoting his "Make America Great Again" movement, Trump said he would "100%" do so if he felt he could, but his intention is to "treat every philosophy and every policy correctly."
Vance said the deal ensures "real control by US investors over the algorithm" that determines what content is viewed on the social media app. He added that more information about the deal will be revealed in the coming weeks.