TRUMP GRANTS TIKTOK ANOTHER 90-DAY EXTENSION TO FIND U.S. BUYER
In a dramatic policy reversal, former U.S. President Donald Trump has extended TikTok’s deadline to find an American buyer by another 90 days—until September 17, 2025—staving off an imminent ban for the third time.
Trump, who previously championed a national security-led crackdown on the Chinese-owned video app, announced the extension via his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days,” Trump posted, shifting the enforcement of a federal law that mandates TikTok’s sale or ban on grounds of national security.
The controversial app, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has been a focal point in U.S.-China tech tensions, with American lawmakers raising concerns over potential data access by the Chinese government. Yet, Trump appears to have softened his stance—possibly swayed by TikTok’s role in boosting his popularity among younger voters during the 2024 election cycle.
“I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” the Republican said in a May interview with NBC News. “If it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension.”
TikTok welcomed the move, saying in a statement: “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users.”
Trump also hinted at ongoing acquisition talks, noting that a group of investors is ready to pay ByteDance “a lot of money” for TikTok’s U.S. operations. Previous reports have linked Oracle and Blackstone as potential stakeholders in a deal that would shift majority control away from China while preserving TikTok’s global appeal.
The White House confirmed earlier this week that it is actively working to facilitate a resolution that ensures American user data remains protected. “This deal must guarantee that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure,” the administration said.
Still, doubts persist over what a potential deal might look like, especially concerning TikTok’s prized recommendation algorithm—a key driver of its addictive content feed.
“TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand—it’s simply not as powerful,” said Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering.
As Trump weighs campaign strategies ahead of his re-inauguration, analysts suggest the app is safe—for now.
“Unless they get on his bad side, TikTok is probably going to be in pretty good shape,” said tech analyst Rob Enderle.
Meanwhile, TikTok continues to innovate. Just this week, the platform launched “Symphony,” a suite of generative AI tools that transform text and images into marketing-ready video clips—signaling that, despite political uncertainty, TikTok is doubling down on growth.
With national security, tech supremacy, and political loyalty colliding in the TikTok saga, all eyes now turn to what happens before the new September 17 deadline.
AFP
