It’s been more than a year since Congress passed — and the Supreme Court upheld — a law that said TikTok’s U.S. operations must either be sold to American owners or face a ban. And yet, befitting the ever-changing political motivations of decision-makers behind that potential ban, it should probably come as no surprise that the fate of the popular social media app remains as murky as ever.
The original deadline for a sale was January 19 of this year, the day before Donald Trump took the oath of office for his second term. Within hours of being sworn in, Trump effectively hit pause on the ban — and he’s done it twice more since, most recently pushing the deadline to a little over a month from now (September 17). That’s when his third extension expires — and when TikTok’s fate will either finally be decided or punted again. If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
A ban, a sale, or another twist in the TikTok saga?
Even at this late stage of the game, no one can say for sure how the whole thing is going to shake out. Here’s what’s at stake: ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, is said to be preparing a new U.S.-specific version of the app that could launch as early as September 5. That move is part of an anticipated sale to a group of investors whose names Trump has been keeping a secret. He’s hinted in public remarks that the group is made up of “very wealthy people,” but any deal would need Beijing’s sign-off — and China reportedly wants to keep a minority stake, something U.S. lawmakers will almost certainly reject (after all, China’s connection to the app is largely what set this whole thing in motion to begin with).
For months, TikTok has been caught between U.S.-China trade tensions, with each side using the app as a bargaining chip. Some investors — not to mention plenty of TikTok users — are getting nervous about Trump’s repeated extensions, worried Congress could eventually balk at the delays. And then there’s Trump himself, who’s reportedly growing tired of all the drama. The New York Post reported in recent days that he’s “starting not to give a crap” whether TikTok temporarily disappears if it means more leverage in trade talks.
That’s why as of this writing, with just over a month until the latest deadline, the most accurate thing anyone can say about TikTok’s future in the U.S. is… nobody really knows.
