By bizn_fun 
A timeline of how things unfolded:published at 02:57 GMT
July 2020 – Trump floats the idea of a ban on TikTok, citing China’s alleged mishandling of the pandemic. Soon, US lawmakers begin to raise concerns about the app, its content and security
August 2020 – Trump issues an executive order imposing broad sanctions against TikTok. A few days later, he issues another executive order demanding ByteDance sell its US assets to an American company
February 2021 – Then US President Joe Biden postpones legal cases involving Trump’s attempts to ban the app
Dec 2022 – FBI Director Christopher Wray raises national security concerns about TikTok, warning that Chinese officials could manipulate its algorithm
March 2024 – A bill to ban TikTok or force its sale to a US company gathers steam in Congress
April and May 2024 – Congress passes and Biden signs a national security law that bans the app
May 2024 – TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance sue the US government to challenge the law, arguing it’s unconstitutional
June 2024 – Trump, who is running for his second term, joins TikTok and posts campaign content
17 January 2025 – After making its way through appeals, the US Supreme Court upholds the law, which forced the spinoff of TikTok from ByteDance
18 January 2025 – TikTok goes dark for US users for 12 to 14 hours as the ban takes effect. It’s restored upon Trump’s promise to sign an executive order and issues a 75-day postponement.
September 2025 – Trump announces he has reached a deal with China to keep the app running in the US