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President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will extend the deadline for TikTok’s divestment by 75 days, allowing more time for his administration to finalize a deal to transfer the app’s US operations to American ownership.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill last year that was signed into law by former President Biden, giving TikTok an ultimatum: either its China-based parent company, ByteDance, must sell the app’s US operations or face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns. The law officially went into effect on January 19, just one day before President Trump began his second term. Upon taking office, Trump delayed enforcement of the ban by signing an executive order that granted ByteDance a 75-day extension to pursue a sale. That extension is now set to expire tomorrow, putting renewed pressure on the company to divest or risk TikTok being shut down across the US.
What’s going on now: In an announcement on Truth Social, President Trump confirmed that he would be signing an executive order to keep TikTok operational in the United States for an additional 75 days, citing ongoing efforts to finalize a deal that would bring the platform under American ownership. He said, “My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days.“
Trump stressed that this move is not just about the platform but also about broader trade negotiations with China, adding, “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand is not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs.”
According to reporting from the Associated Press, a tentative deal was in place earlier this week to spin TikTok off into a US-based entity, with majority American ownership and ByteDance retaining a minority stake. However, the deal collapsed at the last minute after Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports. The Chinese government, reportedly angered by the tariffs, responded by halting progress on the TikTok deal.
ByteDance officials reportedly informed the White House that without movement on trade negotiations, China would not approve any transaction involving TikTok’s algorithm or user data.
This comes as major companies and investment groups have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s US operations. Among the potential bidders are Oracle and Blackstone, along with tech giants like Amazon and Walmart.
