TikTok fans may soon breathe a sigh of relief. A deal with TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is expected to be reached before this week’s rapidly approaching deadline.
The deadline to sell the popular short video app, which is used by 170 million Americans, is April 5 — just days away.
“We have a lot of potential buyers,” President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday. “There’s tremendous interest in TikTok,” adding, “I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”
Trump had previously stated he was willing to extend the April 5 deadline if a deal had not been finalized. Last week, Trump acknowledged the role China will play in reaching a deal, including granting approval. He also suggested he might consider reducing tariffs to help solidify an agreement.
The law behind the TikTok ban
The future of the app has been uncertain since a 2024 law — passed with overwhelming bipartisan support — required ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19. The law raised concerns about TikTok’s potential to share data with the Chinese government or influence American opinions.
Last spring, Congress passed legislation, which then-President Joe Biden signed, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok for national security reasons. The Department of Justice had voiced concerns that TikTok could be used for data collection or manipulation. Despite TikTok’s legal challenge before the Supreme Court, the law was upheld.
TikTok briefly went dark in the U.S. on January 19, disappearing from app stores for about 12 hours, though users who already had the app could still access it. The app returned to app stores in February.
How would TikTok ban impact users
If the app is banned, users with TikTok already installed on their phones will still be able to access it, but service may be limited, and updates may be unavailable. It’s unclear if users would be able to add new content. Some users have discussed using VPNs to bypass the regional ban, but it’s uncertain how effective this would be.
TikTok’s current status in New York
Some areas have already banned TikTok on government-issued devices. New York State imposed a ban on state-issued mobile devices in 2020, and New York City followed suit in 2024, restricting the app from government-owned devices.
Who is interested in buying TikTok?
Private equity group Blackstone is reportedly considering a stake in TikTok, joining a group of non-Chinese investors already in the lead for the bid.
Several groups have submitted bids to ByteDance, including:
Other potential buyers include Bobby Kotick (former CEO of Activision), Doug McMillon (Walmart CEO), Microsoft (which previously expressed interest in a 2020 bid with Walmart), and video streaming platform Rumble.
Contributing: Reuters, the USA Today Network and Emily Barnes
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Will TikTok survive? App’s fate will be decided soon
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
