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President Donald Trump has indicated that he will likely extend the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest from its ownership of TikTok as holdups with the Chinese government continue to complicate the divestiture.
Some shit you should know before you read: Last year, Congress passed the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” with bipartisan support, addressing widespread concerns about the potential national security risks posed by TikTok’s Chinese ownership. The law, later signed by President Biden, requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either divest its US operations or face an outright ban, based on fears that the Chinese government could exploit the platform’s algorithm to manipulate information and access sensitive user data from millions of Americans. Last night, ByteDance suspended its operations across the US, with TikTok, CapCut, and other affiliated apps becoming inaccessible. A message prompted users to close the app and notified them that they were working on a solution with President Trump to restore the app.
What’s going on now: While speaking to reporters on Air Force One, President Trump alluded that he would likely extend the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform, delaying a potential ban in the United States. The current deadline, set to expire on June 19, marks the end of a 75-day delay issued in April (Trump’s second such extension since taking office).
TikTok’s fate has become increasingly entangled in broader US-China trade talks. A near-final deal to transition TikTok to American ownership fell apart earlier this year when Trump unveiled a new wave of tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting China to withdraw support for the agreement. Now, any potential resolution requires approval from the Chinese government, a point Trump has previously acknowledged. Despite this, Trump has expressed confidence that President Xi will “ultimately approve” a deal.
This comes as Trump’s approach to TikTok has notably shifted since his first term, when he led efforts to ban the app over national security concerns. He has since changed, stating he has a “warm spot” for the platform and crediting it with helping him connect with younger voters.
