The future of TikTok in the United States remains precarious as the April 5 deadline for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the platform approaches. President Donald Trump, who extended the original January 19 cutoff date mandated by a 2024 bipartisan law, has expressed confidence that a resolution will be reached before the weekend.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, enacted under President Joe Biden in 2024, initially required ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, to avoid a nationwide ban.
The law cited concerns that Beijing could exploit the app for espionage or influence operations. When the deadline passed without a sale, TikTok briefly went offline in January 2025, with internet service providers and app stores removing it.
Trump intervened on his first day in office, issuing an executive order to delay enforcement by 75 days, pushing the deadline to April 5. This move allowed TikTok to resume operations temporarily, though uncertainty persists.
“We have a lot of potential buyers. There’s tremendous interest in TikTok. I’d like to see TikTok remain alive,” Trump stated.
Reuters reports that private equity firm Blackstone is exploring a minority investment in TikTok’s U.S. operations, potentially joining a consortium led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic. This group has emerged as the frontrunner, though other bidders, including Oracle and a consortium led by Frank McCourt, have also been linked to discussions.
U.S. officials argue that ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government pose a national security risk, though the company denies sharing data with Beijing. Trump has hinted at leveraging trade incentives to secure Chinese approval for the sale.
“Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” he added.
Trump’s shift from advocating a TikTok ban during his first term to supporting its survival has drawn scrutiny. Analysts attribute this to the app’s role in connecting with younger voters during the 2024 election and its potential to counter Meta’s dominance in social media.
Lawmakers, including Senators Edward Markey, Chris Van Hollen, and Cory Booker, urged Trump in March to collaborate with Congress on extending the deadline, warning that unilateral executive actions could expose companies like Apple and Google to legal liabilities.
If no deal is reached by April 5, TikTok could face another shutdown, with app stores and internet providers likely to block access again. However, Trump retains authority to issue further extensions under the 2024 law, which permits a 90-day reprieve.