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.
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