Washington DC - President Donald Trump will this week give TikTok a fresh 90-day extension to find a non-Chinese buyer, the White House said Tuesday, the third time he has put off a threatened ban on the popular app.

A federal law requiring TikTok's sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before Trump's January inauguration.

"President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running. As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

"This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure."

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Trump, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media, has previously said he is fond of the video sharing app.

"I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok." Trump said in an NBC News interview in early May. "If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension."