President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders on his first day back in office, impacting social media, energy, artificial intelligence, and TikTok. One notable action was a temporary reprieve for TikTok, delaying enforcement of a U.S. law requiring the app to be sold by its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Trump stated, “I am instructing the Attorney General not to take any action to enforce the Act for a period of 75 days to allow my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
This move has faced criticism from lawmakers like Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr.
(D-N.J.), who said, “ByteDance has had 270 days to sell TikTok to an American company, and it’s disgraceful they spent all that time playing political games rather than working to find a buyer.” Legal experts have also warned about potential liability for companies hosting TikTok. Trump reversed several Biden administration orders related to artificial intelligence, changing previous regulations that included testing mandates to prevent AI from being used to create weapons and provisions addressing privacy and job displacement. He also announced the creation of a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to modernize federal technology and improve governmental efficiency.
Trump redefines regulations on AI
On social media, Trump issued an order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” criticizing the Biden administration’s efforts to moderate content on social media platforms. The order claimed these efforts infringed on free speech rights and directed federal employees and officials to avoid actions that would unconstitutionally abridge free speech.
In the energy sector, Trump declared an energy emergency and issued an order to streamline permitting for energy development, excluding wind and solar power. The order defines “energy” to encompass fossil fuels while specifically excluding wind and solar energy. A temporary ban was also placed on all offshore wind lease sales, citing legal deficiencies in prior environmental reviews.
These executive orders mark a decisive shift in policy across several key areas as Trump begins his second term in office, with the impact likely to unfold over the coming months.
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
