Timeline: US threatens to ban TikTok
July 7
Trump claimed his administration is considering banning TikTok in the US
July 8
The US Justice Department probed allegations that TikTok violated children’s privacy
July 16
White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said he expects TikTok to separate from its Chinese owner and operate as an American company
July 17
Trump’s reelection campaign pushed Facebook ads linked to a survey and mailing-list sign-up page that asked if TikTok should be banned in the US
July 17
The White House was reportedly considering putting ByteDance on its “entity” list
July 22
US federal employees would be banned from using TikTok on government-issued devices under a bill that was passed by a US Senate Committee
July 31
Trump was considering signing an order that forces China’s ByteDance to sell off the US portion of TikTok and said he will decide soon whether to ban the app from the US
July 31
Trump said he could use “emergency economic powers or an executive order” to ban TikTok from the US market and reject a potential deal for Microsoft to buy the app
August 2
Microsoft said that it is still discussing a potential purchase of TikTok after its CEO Satya Nadella talked with Trump
August 3
Trump said TikTok would be banned in the US unless it is bought by Microsoft or another company by Sept 15, and suggested the US Treasury should get a cut from the deal
August 6
Trump signed an executive order to bar US businesses from making transactions with TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, starting in 45 days