President Trump has extended the deadline for the sale of TikTok to a U.S. entity by an additional 90 days, pushing the date to September 17. The popular video-sharing platform, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, was given the extension as announced by Trump on Truth Social. The President had previously hinted at a possible extension in May, expressing optimism about securing approval from China.
TikTok responded positively to the decision, expressing gratitude for Trump’s leadership and support. The platform emphasized its importance to over 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on it. The extension is the third granted by Trump, following the platform’s role in helping him secure young voters in the 2024 election.
Initially, a ban on the app, mandated by Congress, was set to take effect in January. However, the app was only unavailable in the U.S. for a brief 14-hour period before Trump intervened. The President has repeatedly expressed concerns about ByteDance owning U.S. assets of TikTok, citing potential national security risks and the possibility of China gaining access to a wealth of American user data.
TikTok has consistently refuted these claims, asserting that it does not pose any security threats to the U.S. and does not store American user data in China. Trump’s approach to the platform has softened since his first term when he attempted to ban the app entirely. This move was later overturned by the courts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Trump’s stance, stating that the President does not wish for TikTok to be unavailable. The 90-day extension will be used by the administration to ensure the deal is finalized, providing assurance to American users about the safety and security of their data.
Despite the concerns over potential Chinese access to their personal data, U.S. users seem largely unconcerned. During TikTok’s brief shutdown in January, many Americans switched to the Chinese social media app RedNote. A survey conducted last summer revealed that 41% of 1,300 TikTok users would be somewhat or very upset if the app was banned, a figure that rose to 57% among Gen Z users.
When the initial extension was granted in January, TikTok was given an April 5 deadline. Several potential buyers, including Amazon, Perplexity AI, Steven Mnuchin, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian alongside billionaire Frank McCourt, had shown interest. However, the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, fueled by Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, dampened hopes of a deal. The app was then granted another 90-day extension, which was set to expire on Thursday.