As the clock ticks towards the April 5 deadline, the future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain, with President Donald Trump promising that a deal to resolve the app's ongoing issues will be struck before the deadline. The central issue at hand is whether TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, will be forced to divest the popular social media platform or face a ban in the U.S.
In a statement made aboard Air Force One late on Sunday, Trump confirmed that there was "tremendous interest" from potential buyers looking to acquire TikTok. He expressed his desire for the platform to "remain alive" and emphasized that multiple buyers were keen on striking a deal, suggesting that a solution would be reached before the deadline.
The April 5 deadline was established following the passing of the 2024 "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," which granted ByteDance until January 19, 2025, to sell TikTok or risk a complete ban in the U.S. Lawmakers have pushed for a non-Chinese buyer of TikTok over concerns regarding national security, fearing that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government—a claim that ByteDance has consistently denied.
Private equity firm Blackstone shows interest
Among the potential buyers, private equity firm Blackstone is reportedly considering a stake in TikTok. Blackstone could join a group of non-Chinese shareholders already seen as frontrunners in the bid to acquire the platform. This potential deal has raised eyebrows, as Blackstone’s involvement could significantly alter the app’s ownership structure.
TikTok, however, has not yet responded to requests for comment from USA TODAY regarding the developments. Nonetheless, the extended deadline has certainly created a sense of urgency to finalise a sale or face a complete ban.
Why is TikTok facing a ban again?
This is not the first time that TikTok has been under scrutiny in the United States. In late January, the app was temporarily made inaccessible for just over 12 hours, following the enactment of federal legislation which effectively banned the app. This came after President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law in 2024, which provided ByteDance a deadline to divest the app.
The Act sparked fears among some U.S. political officials, who have long expressed concerns that TikTok's connection to ByteDance could present a national security threat. The central issue revolves around whether TikTok shares sensitive U.S. user data with the Chinese government. While these concerns have been raised for some time, ByteDance has repeatedly denied any such claims. Still, these suspicions have continued to cast a shadow over the platform's future in the U.S.
As the deadline approached, U.S. internet hosting services blocked TikTok, and app stores removed the app for download. Despite this, a promise was made by Trump, who had previously supported a potential ban, to restore TikTok's access, warning that companies could face steep penalties for blocking the app. Internet service providers and app stores were cautioned that failing to comply could lead to fines of $5,000 per user who accesses or downloads TikTok.
Can Trump extend the deadline again?
While the deadline for TikTok to be sold is fast approaching, there is still a possibility that President Trump could extend it again. Under the terms of the federal legislation that put the ban in place, the president has the power to implement a 90-day extension. However, in January, Trump opted not to take this route and instead signed an executive order to delay the ban by 75 days.
Trump now has the option to issue another executive order if he wishes to delay the sale of TikTok beyond April 5. This would give potential buyers more time to negotiate a deal and may prevent the platform from facing a permanent ban in the U.S.
Senators urge Trump to work with Congress
In the midst of the negotiations, three Democratic senators, Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Cory Booker of New Jersey, have called on President Trump to work with Congress to find a resolution for the TikTok issue. In a letter to Trump, the senators warned that if the president continued to extend the deadline via executive orders, it would put companies such as Oracle, Apple, and Google at risk of "ruinous legal liability."
The senators have urged Trump to push Republican senators to approve the "Extend the TikTok Deadline Act," a bill that was introduced in January and, if passed, would extend the divestment deadline to October 16, 2025. This bill aims to provide more time for an agreement to be reached without causing further disruption for the companies involved.
Who’s interested in purchasing TikTok?
With the looming deadline, several high-profile individuals and groups have expressed interest in purchasing TikTok to avoid its potential ban. Trump has publicly stated that his administration is working with "four different groups" interested in acquiring the app, but he has not revealed the identities of these groups. However, some bidders have been more transparent about their interest:
Project Liberty – Led by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, Project Liberty has submitted a bid to ByteDance. This group is backed by notable figures such as "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
MrBeast (James Donaldson) – A consortium of investors, including internet superstar MrBeast (James Donaldson), has also shown interest in purchasing the app. This group is led by Employer.com founder and CEO Jesse Tinsley.
Perplexity AI – A U.S.-based search engine company, Perplexity AI, proposed a merger with TikTok rather than a direct sale. If the merger proceeds, it would create a new entity combining Perplexity AI with TikTok.
Bobby Kotick, Doug McMillon, Microsoft, and Rumble – Other names that have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok include Bobby Kotick, former CEO of video game company Activision; Doug McMillon, Walmart CEO; Microsoft (which previously attempted to acquire TikTok in 2020); and Rumble, a conservative video streaming platform.
With so much at stake, the pressure is on for a deal to be finalised. Whether TikTok will be sold to one of these interested parties or face a ban will likely be determined in the coming days. As the April 5 deadline looms large, both political and corporate leaders will continue to negotiate, hoping to avoid a dramatic outcome for the app and its millions of U.S. users.
