type: timeline_event
President Trump signed Executive Order 14352 titled 'Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security' on September 25, 2025, approving a deal that allows TikTok to continue operating in the United States under majority U.S. ownership. The order extended the enforcement deadline by 120 days to January 23, 2026, to allow completion of a transaction that values the U.S. operation at approximately $14 billion. Under the deal, ByteDance will own less than 20% of the new entity, with Oracle serving as TikTok's security provider.
The executive order represents a dramatic reversal from Trump's previous attempts to ban TikTok and raises significant concerns about executive overreach in technology policy. By personally approving corporate transactions and designating Oracle as a security partner, Trump inserted presidential authority into what should be independent regulatory and national security review processes.
Critical questions remain about conflicts of interest, as Oracle's co-founder Larry Ellison is a Trump supporter and major Republican donor. The deal structure—allowing ByteDance to retain significant ownership while claiming 'national security' protection—demonstrates how executive power can be leveraged to engineer favorable outcomes for politically connected companies while sidestepping established regulatory frameworks and congressional oversight.