U.S. President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of its popular short video app, TikTok. This new 90-day reprieve pushes the critical date for a TikTok sale to September 17, 2025.
The decision, announced by President Trump through an executive order on Thursday, marks the third such delay, continuing a long-running saga fueled by U.S. national security concerns over the app’s ownership and user data security. Despite a law mandating a sale or shutdown, President Trump has repeatedly chosen to delay enforcement.
TikTok’s Future: White House Aims for Secure Data and Continued Operation
The White House has clarified its stance on the TikTok ban, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating on Wednesday that the additional 90-day extension aims to “ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”
This echoes President Trump’s campaign promise to “save TikTok” and his desire to keep the video-sharing app accessible for its 170 million U.S. users. The platform, grateful for the extension, released a statement expressing thanks for “President Trump’s leadership and support” in maintaining its availability and confirming ongoing work with Vice President Vance’s Office on the matter. President Trump had indicated a further delay was likely earlier in the week, signaling his commitment to finding a resolution that avoids a complete ban.
Divestment Challenges: China’s Approval and Legal Authority Questions
The legislative framework passed last year mandated that TikTok either be sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban due to persistent national security fears that the Chinese government could compel access to U.S. user data.
While TikTok vehemently denies these allegations, the concerns have driven the push for divestment. Any sale or partial sale of the app will inevitably require Beijing’s approval, adding a significant layer of complexity to the TikTok negotiations.
The initial deadline, set for January 19, was bypassed when President Trump began his second term, and he had previously granted extensions to early April and then June 19. This latest delay prolongs what has become a protracted process of securing a suitable buyer.
Meanwhile, Democratic senators have raised questions about the legal authority for these repeated extensions, suggesting that President Trump may be overstepping his bounds and that the currently considered deal might not meet existing legal requirements for a complete TikTok divestment.
