operating

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would allow hugely popular social video app TikTok to continue to operate in the United States.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, had been under pressure to divest its ownership in the app’s U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban, due to security concerns over the company’s ties to China.

Congress passed legislation calling for a TikTok ban to go into effect in January, but Trump has repeatedly signed orders that have allowed TikTok to keep operating in the country.

Under an agreement that Trump said was approved by China’s President Xi Jinping, TikTok’s U.S. operations will be operated through a joint venture run by a majority-American investor group. ByteDance and its affiliates would hold less than 20% ownership in the venture.

About 170 million Americans use TikTok, known for its viral entertaining videos.

“These safeguards would protect the American people from the misuse of their data and the influence of a foreign adversary, while also allowing the millions of American viewers, creators, and businesses that rely on the TikTok application to continue using it,” Trump stated in his executive order.

Trump, who years ago led the push to ban TikTok from the U.S., said at a press event that he feels the deal satisfies security concerns.

“The biggest reason is that it’s owned by Americans … and people that love the country and very smart Americans, so they don’t want anything like that to happen,” Trump said.

Trump said on Thursday that people involved in the deal include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies Chief Executive Michael Dell and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Vice President JD Vance said the new entity controlling TikTok’s U.S. operations would have a value of around $14 billion.

Murdoch’s involvement would probably entail Fox Corp. investing in the deal, a source familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Times. Fox Corp. owns Fox News, whose opinion hosts are vocally supportive of Trump.

The algorithms and code would be under control of the joint venture. The order requires the storage of sensitive U.S. user data to be under a U.S. cloud computing company.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News last Saturday that the app’s data and privacy in the U.S. would be led by Oracle.

Ellison is a Trump ally who is the world’s second-richest person, according to Forbes.

TikTok already works with Oracle. Since October 2022, “all new protected U.S. user data has been stored in the secure Oracle infrastructure, not on TikTok or ByteDance servers,” TikTok says on its website.

Ellison is also preparing a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the media company that owns HBO, TNT and CNN, after already completing a takeover of Paramount, one of Hollywood’s original studios.

“The most important thing is it does protect Americans’ data security,” Vance said at a press gathering on Thursday. “What this deal ensures is that the American entity and the American investors will actually control the algorithm. We don’t want this used as a propaganda tool by any foreign government.”

TikTok, which has a large presence in Los Angeles, did not respond to a request for comment.

Terms of the deal are still unclear. Trump discussed the TikTok deal with China’s Xi Jinping in an extended phone call last week. Chinese and U.S. officials have until Dec. 16 to finalize the details.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have recently joined other carriers in banning the use of power banks onboard

Two additional airlines have joined a growing list of carriers prohibiting the use of one popular gadget that countless travellers rely on during flights.

Both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have now implemented measures to prevent passengers from using power banks to charge their electronic devices whilst in the cabin. This follows comparable actions by numerous other airlines throughout the year, many of which operate in and out of the UK.

The new regulations arise from mounting worries regarding the safety of lithium batteries on aircraft. Just last week, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) released an updated alert following 50 incidents involving power banks on board.

They declared: “Lithium batteries stored in passenger overhead bins and or in carry-on baggage may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crewmembers. Because of this, detection of thermal runaway and firefighting measures may be delayed in flight, increasing the risk to safety.”

Under these fresh regulations, travellers will no longer be permitted to charge their gadgets using power banks during flights, nor can the battery packs be recharged via in-flight ports, reports the Express. Passengers are still allowed to bring power banks into the cabin, but they must remain unused and visible at all times.

The first airline to introduce such a prohibition was Air Busan, after a power bank fire in January forced one of its aircraft out of service. Fortunately, no passengers were harmed, but the incident caused considerable damage.

The biggest name on the list of airlines banning the use of power banks is Emirates, the Middle East-based travel giant. Bosses announced that a ban on power banks will be enforced from October 1, 2025.

A spokesperson for the airline stated that “Emirates customers are still permitted to carry one power bank onboard with specific conditions” but clarified that “the power banks may not be used while in the aircraft cabin – neither to charge devices from the power bank, nor to be charged themselves using the aircrafts’ power source.”

The spokesperson added: “After a comprehensive safety review, Emirates is taking a firm and proactive stance to mitigate risk when it comes to power banks onboard. There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry.

“All power banks are subject to the new rules onboard Emirates. Emirates new regulations will significantly reduce risks associated with power banks by prohibiting their use while onboard the aircraft.

“Storing power banks in accessible locations within the cabin ensures that in the rare event of a fire, trained cabin crew can quickly respond and extinguish the fire. Safety is one of Emirates’ core values, and a cornerstone of all operations and practices.”

UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), alongside other aviation regulators, advises that lithium batteries and power banks should be carried in hand luggage and switched off completely to minimise fire risks.

Their guidelines specify that the heat-generating element of a lithium battery-powered gadget should be “separated” from the battery – meaning the battery or heat-generating part should be taken out. The guidelines state: “Any battery that has been removed must be protected against short circuit (by placing in its original retail packaging or by otherwise insulating terminals, e.g. by taping over exposed terminals or placing each battery in a separate bag or protective pouch).”

Portable electronic devices containing lithium ion batteries that exceed a Watt-hour rating of 100 Wh and under 160 Wh should also be stored in carry-on baggage. The CAA further advises: “If devices are carried in checked baggage measures must be taken to prevent unintentional activation and to protect from damage and the device must be completely switched off (not in sleep or hibernation mode).

“Large portable electronic devices such as laptops and tablets should not be packed near aerosols or perfumes.” The new regulations introduced by airlines affects passengers flying from London aiports including Heathrow, as well as other major transport hubs like Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Full list of all 14 airlines banning power bank use aboard a plane

Operating in the UK:

• Asiana Airlines: London Heathrow
• Cathay Pacific: Heathrow, Manchester
• China Airlines: Heathrow
• Emirates: Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh
• EVA Air: Heathrow
• Korean Air: Heathrow
• Singapore Airlines: Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester.
• Starlux Airlines: Gatwick
• Vietnam Airlines: Heathrow

Not serving UK airports:

• Air Busan
• Hong Kong Airlines
• Thai AirAsia
• Tigerair
• Vietjet Air

US President Donald Trump has announced a deal with China to allow the TikTok platform to continue operating in the United States.

Trump said he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to confirm the details of an agreement to avoid a ban on the popular video-sharing app in the US.

“We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it. And you know, the kids want it so badly,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

“I had parents calling me up. They don’t want it for themselves, they want it for their kids. They say, if I don’t get it done, they are in big trouble with their kids. And I think it’s great. I hate to see value like that thrown out the window,” he said.

Trump signed an executive order later on Tuesday extending until December 16 a deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face the promised ban.

Trump, who has credited TikTok with helping him win young voters in November’s presidential election, did not provide specific details on the nature of the deal.

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the Chinese ownership stake in TikTok would be reduced to less than 20 percent under the proposed agreement.

China’s People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, hailed the deal as an example of “cooperation for mutual benefit”.

“China’s commitment to safeguarding national interests and the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises remains unwavering,” the newspaper said in a commentary.

“It will lawfully process matters such as technology export approvals and intellectual property licensing rights related to TikTok,” the newspaper added.

Yan Liang, an economics professor at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, said the reported details of the deal raised questions about what China would get in return for divesting.

“After all, Trump has the interest to keep TikTok running for his personal political gain,” Yan told Al Jazeera.

“Trump’s business clientele also has the interest to keep TikTok alive, even if they don’t hold a majority control of this lucrative company,” she said.

“I’d be surprised that China agrees with such a deal without [many] concessions from the US.”

The future of TikTok, which claims more than 170 million users in the US, has been in the balance since lawmakers in Washington last year passed legislation to force the platform to divest from its Chinese ownership.

Democrats and Republicans alike overwhelmingly supported the ban amid concerns the platform could be used by Beijing to spy on Americans and spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda.

Trump himself sought to ban TikTok in his first term as president, before doing a U-turn and pledging to “save” the platform during his re-election campaign.

Critics of the ban have argued that it infringes on US free speech rights and fails to address privacy concerns surrounding social media platforms in general.

“I never thought the United States should shut down TikTok over speculation that China might gather information about, or try to influence, Americans,” Ryan Calo, co-director of the Tech Policy Lab at the University of Washington, told Al Jazeera.

“So, from that perspective, striking a deal to preserve TikTok in the United States is a win,” Calo said.

But Calo said the Trump administration’s creation of its “own timetable” for reaching a deal had flouted the process outlined in the legislation passed by Congress.

“This is a blow to the rule of law, among many,” he said.

Anupam Chander, an expert in law and technology at Georgetown Law, said Trump’s announcement raised questions about potential political influence over TikTok’s content.

“Many Americans have been worried that the change in ownership of CBS might change the politics of the channel,” Chander said, referring to the major US broadcaster.

“I think it’s also fair for TikTok users in the US to wonder if we will see our TikTok content change to reflect the views of TikTok’s new owners, who may have a friendly relationship with the current Administration.”