US President Donald Trump has announced a 75-day extension to the deadline for TikTok’s sale or divestment, postponing a potential ban of the social media platform in the United States.
The move, confirmed via a statement on Truth Social, marks the second time the president has delayed enforcement of legislation passed by Congress last year that mandates TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell its US operations or face a ban. “The TikTok deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed,” Trump posted on Friday.
The original deadline for a ban or forced sale was 19 January, but it was initially postponed to 5 April through an executive order signed by Trump on his first day back in office. The new extension means the deadline will now fall in mid-June.
TikTok, which has 170 million users in the US, has drawn intense scrutiny from lawmakers over concerns about data security and potential manipulation by its Chinese parent company. While negotiations are ongoing, ByteDance reiterated that no agreement has been finalised and that any potential transaction remains subject to Chinese government approval. “ByteDance has been in discussion with the U.S. Government regarding a potential solution for TikTok U.S. An agreement has not been executed. There are key matters to be resolved,” the company said in a statement.
Several high-profile bidders are said to be in the running to acquire TikTok’s US operations. Among them are a consortium led by Oracle, retail giants Amazon and Walmart, asset manager Blackstone, billionaire Frank McCourt, a crypto foundation, and even the founder of adult site OnlyFans.
Despite the mounting interest, ByteDance has consistently argued that divesting TikTok is unfeasible, citing legal, commercial and technological challenges. In previous court filings, the company described a forced sale as “simply not possible”.
The political dynamics of the potential sale are also being shaped by broader trade tensions. Just days after unveiling sweeping tariffs on 60 countries, Trump hinted that tariff relief for China — now facing a 54% tariff on goods exported to the US — might be leveraged in negotiations over TikTok’s future. “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say we’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “The tariffs give us great power to negotiate.”
In his follow-up statement on Friday, the president struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs. We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark.’ We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal.”
While the future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain, the platform’s value as a social media and e-commerce powerhouse, combined with its highly coveted algorithm, continues to attract strong interest from corporate bidders and investors alike.
A final decision is now expected by mid-June, setting the stage for a potentially high-stakes geopolitical and commercial showdown over one of the most influential apps in the world.
