TikTok Ban Delayed Again: Trump Extends Deadline as ByteDance Faces Pressure to Sell US Stake

Back in 2024, the U.S. Congress passed a controversial law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest 80% of its U.S. operations to American-owned firms or face a nationwide ban. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court, triggering a short-lived 13-hour blackout of TikTok in the U.S.

However, after returning to the White House, President Trump introduced a series of delays, granting TikTok multiple grace periods to strike a deal. The latest extension, granted via executive order, gives ByteDance another 90 days to finalize a U.S.-led acquisition, pushing the deadline to mid-September.

Several big names have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations — from Amazon to influencers like MrBeast — and a deal was nearly finalized earlier this year. In April, Reuters reported a deal had gained approval from investors, ByteDance, and even the U.S. government. But mounting tensions from Trump’s renewed tariff war with China caused the deal to collapse.

According to U.S. law, ByteDance must reduce its ownership to no more than 20%, with the remaining 80% going to U.S.-headquartered companies or investors. But even if a deal is made, approval from the Chinese government is still required, complicating negotiations amid the ongoing U.S.-China trade standoff.

As TikTok remains a central pawn in the digital cold war between the U.S. and China, the question remains: Will a deal be struck before the September deadline? Or will the world’s most popular short-form video app face another round of uncertainty?