President Trump has once again extended the deadline for TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets, pushing the potential ban of the popular video app to September 17, 2025. This marks the third time the Trump administration has delayed enforcement of the law since January. The initial law, passed with bipartisan support in April 2024, gave ByteDance until January 19, 2025, to fully sever ties with TikTok or face being cut off from U.S. app stores and web-hosting services.
The extension was announced via a post on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the administration will use the 90-day extension to work towards closing a deal that ensures Americans can continue using TikTok with data security assurances.
TikTok responded to the extension with a statement expressing gratitude for President Trump's leadership and support, emphasizing the platform's importance to over 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses. The company also noted its ongoing collaboration with Vice President Vance's office.
The core issue revolves around national security concerns related to potential Chinese government access to U.S. user data through TikTok. This concern prompted the original law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which mandated the divestiture. Despite these concerns, Trump has expressed a desire to keep TikTok operational in the U.S., particularly noting its value in connecting with younger voters.
Several potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok's U.S. operations. These include Amazon, an investment group led by Frank McCourt (former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers) with Kevin O'Leary, and AI company Perplexity.
The repeated extensions suggest ongoing complexities in reaching a final agreement. Previous plans to spin off TikTok's U.S. operations into an American-controlled company were reportedly stalled after China signaled disapproval due to trade and tariff issues. Some analysts believe these delays are being used as leverage in broader trade negotiations between the U.S. and China.
The legality of these extensions has been questioned, with some Democratic lawmakers arguing that President Trump lacks the authority to repeatedly extend the deadline. Despite the legal uncertainties, the extensions have not faced any legal challenges so far.
With the new deadline set for September 17, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether a deal can be reached that satisfies both U.S. national security concerns and China's interests, or if the popular app will ultimately face a ban.
