U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the deadline for TikTok to find a non-Chinese buyer has been extended by 75 days, giving the popular video-sharing app more time to negotiate a solution before facing a potential ban in the United States. The new deadline is now set for June 19.
Trump shared the update on Truth Social, stating that his administration had made significant progress in efforts to save TikTok and that additional time was needed to finalize the necessary approvals for a deal. TikTok, which boasts over 170 million American users, is under threat due to a U.S. law passed last year, which mandates that TikTok must sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face shutdown in the U.S.
While ByteDance has confirmed ongoing talks with the U.S. government, it acknowledged that “key matters” remain unresolved, including approval from China. The company has yet to execute any formal agreement, and the potential deal would likely be subject to Chinese law.
The issue stems from national security concerns, with Washington fearing that TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government could lead to data being misused for espionage. A previous ban was announced just before Trump’s inauguration in January but was delayed for 75 days, restoring TikTok to U.S. app stores in February.
Trump remains optimistic that a deal will be reached, suggesting that TikTok could be part of a broader agreement with China aimed at easing tariffs imposed during the trade war. The potential deal would likely involve U.S. investors, including Oracle and Blackstone, reducing ByteDance’s stake in a new independent TikTok entity. Walmart has also reportedly shown interest, alongside Oracle, in acquiring the U.S. operations of TikTok.
One of the biggest points of uncertainty remains the future of TikTok’s valuable algorithm. Reports indicate that the new company might license the algorithm from ByteDance, but such an arrangement could challenge the law’s intent to limit Chinese influence over the app’s operations in the U.S.
As the negotiations continue, Trump expressed his desire for TikTok to remain operational in the U.S., emphasizing that he is working in “good faith” with China to close the deal and avoid the app “going dark.”
