US president was concerned over app\u2019s Chinese ownership, but has softened after believing it won him 2024 election<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, as Donald Trump<\/a> continues to permit the Chinese-owned platform to operate in the US despite a law requiring its sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAmerica we are BACK! What\u2019s up TikTok<\/a>?\u201d read a caption on the account\u2019s first post, a 27-second clip, on the popular video-sharing app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The account had about 4,500 followers an hour after posting the video. Trump\u2019s personal account on TikTok meanwhile has 110.1 million followers, though his last post was on 5 November 2024 \u2013 election day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Kamala Harris<\/a>, his Democratic opponent, in the November 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Trump administration<\/a> is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible,\u201d Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said as the account went live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A federal law requiring TikTok\u2019s sale or a ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump\u2019s inauguration on 20 January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the Republican president, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TikTok is a tremendously popular social media app with 170 million users in the US. ByteDance, TikTok\u2019s parent company, said in April that it had been in discussion with the US government regarding a solution for the app. It added that any agreement \u201cwill be subject to approval under Chinese law\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In mid-June, Trump for the third time<\/a> extended the deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That extension is due to expire in mid-September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n