Will TikTok Face A U.S. Ban? Trump Signals Deal Ahead of Saturday Deadline

TikTok may avoid a ban yet again, as former President Donald Trump has stated that a deal to sell the app to a non-Chinese company is expected to be finalized before the new April 5 deadline.

“We have a lot of potential buyers,” Trump informed reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, according to Reuters. “There’s tremendous interest in TikTok….I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”

Initially, TikTok was required to divest by January, but Trump extended the deadline following the passage of a 2024 law mandating ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, to relinquish ownership due to national security concerns.

Several major investors are reportedly involved. Private equity firm Blackstone is considering acquiring a stake in TikTok, aligning with a group of non-Chinese investors believed to be leading the bidding process, according to Reuters and The New York Times.

TikTok has not yet responded to Trump’s statement regarding the potential sale.

The concerns surrounding TikTok stem from national security risks. In January, TikTok was temporarily inaccessible in the U.S. for over 12 hours when the ban took effect under federal legislation. President Joe Biden had signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in 2024, which originally set a deadline of January 19, 2025, for ByteDance to divest or face prohibition. Lawmakers have raised concerns that ByteDance could potentially share user data with the Chinese government, though the company has consistently denied these allegations.

When the initial deadline was reached, app stores removed TikTok, and internet providers restricted access. Although Trump previously supported a TikTok ban during his first administration, he reversed his stance after winning the 2024 election, stating that he intended to “save” the platform.

This situation also carries legal implications. Companies such as Google and Apple could face fines of $5,000 per user for allowing TikTok to be downloaded or updated. Given TikTok’s vast user base, these fines could accumulate significantly.

There is a possibility that Trump may extend the deadline once more. He previously delayed the ban by 75 days through an executive order rather than using the 90-day extension permitted under the law. He retains the authority to issue another executive order before the April 5 deadline.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators are urging Trump to collaborate with Congress to find a resolution. They are advocating for the passage of legislation that would extend the divestment deadline to October 16, 2025.

Several groups have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok:

• Project Liberty – Led by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, with backing from “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
• MrBeast & Employer.com – A consortium of investors, including YouTube personality MrBeast, has submitted a bid.
• Perplexity AI – This U.S.-based search engine proposed a merger with TikTok rather than a direct acquisition.
• Other potential buyers – Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Microsoft (which previously attempted to acquire TikTok in 2020), and video platform Rumble have all expressed interest.

With the deadline quickly approaching, the future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain. Whether the platform will be sold, or if Trump will once again extend the deadline, remains to be seen.