Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press
President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday night that he had less than a month since he extended the deadline for a third ban on Tiktok, but he didn’t provide details.
The details and timing of potential transactions are not clear. Tiktok did not respond immediately to the message on Monday due to comments.
Emarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman reportedly has “planned” the US version of the app to comply with legal restrictions, but the platform “is at risk of losing the very personalization that drives user engagement” if it launches without the original Tiktok algorithm.
In other words, Tiktok is not a Tiktok without an algorithm.
“And downloading millions of new apps is not a small feat, to say the least,” Goldman added.
Following Trump’s comments, here’s what you need to know about where Tiktok stands in the United States:
The extension continues
He has no clear legal basis for doing so, but Trump continues to extend Tiktok’s deadline to avoid banning Tiktok, which gives his administration time to mediate transactions that lead social media platforms to American ownership.
It is not clear that Trump could or willing will continue to be extended multiple times as the government continues to negotiate deals with Tiktok, owned by Chinese ordinances. There is no clear legal basis for expansion, but so far there has been no legal challenge to the administration. Since joining the company last year, Trump has attracted over 15 million followers in Tiktok, and he believes he has helped the trendsetting platform gain traction among younger voters. He said in January he has a “warm place in Tiktok.”
Tiktok stays for now
For now, Tiktok continues to function for 170 million users of Tech Giants Apple, Google and Oracle in the US, and Trump’s Department of Justice continues to provide and support the app with a promise not to use the law to seek potentially sudden fines.
Americans are even more closely divided on what to do with Tiktok than they were two years ago.
A recent survey by the Puri Research Center found that about a third of Americans responded that 50% in March 2023 supported the ban on Tiktok. About a third said they opposed the ban, and similar proportions said they were unsure.
Among those who support the ban on social media platforms, eight out of ten people who are at risk as the main factor in their decisions, their data security is cited.
Trump said on Friday, Monday or Tuesday, the US would receive proposals from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and one of his representatives. The president said he “probably” believes that China should approve the deal, but he was not sure it was necessary.
When asked if he was certain China would approve the deal, Trump said, “I’m not sure, but I think so.”
He said for the US, “I’ll make a lot of money as the transaction goes on.”
Who wants to buy Tiktok?
It is unclear whether Baitedans has plans to sell Tiktok, but several potential bidders have come forward in the past few months.
Tapped to oversee potential deals, Vice President JD Vance’s aide reached out to some parties, including the baffling AI of artificial intelligence startups, to obtain additional details about the bid. In January, Perplexity AI presented Buitedan with a merger proposal that combines Perplexity’s business with Tiktok’s US operations.
Confusion did not comment Monday.
Other potential bidders include a consortium hosted by billionaire business executive Frank McCourt. Frank McCourt recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as his strategic advisor. Investors at the consortium say they have provided $2 billion in cash to ByteDance on Tiktok’s US platform. And if successful, they plan to redesign popular apps with blockchain technology.
Among the possible investors are software company Oracle and investment company Blackstone. Neither company responded immediately to a message seeking comment Monday.
Original issue: July 7, 2025, 3:27pm EDT
