TikTok will remain available in the U.S. for at least three more months. Once again, US President Donald Trump plans to delay the app’s sale or ban. So far, this is the third extension since he returned to office.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the move. She stated, “President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running.”
Originally, ByteDance—the Chinese company that owns TikTok—had a deadline in January to sell it to an American firm. Since that didn’t happen, the app faced a ban. However, both TikTok and ByteDance declined to comment, according to the BBC.
Leavitt explained the reason behind the extension. She said the extra 90 days would help finalize the sale. “It will 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,” she added.
Trump Confirms He Supports the Extension
Earlier, Trump spoke to the BBC. He said he would “probably” approve the delay.
“We’ll probably have to get China approval,” he said. “I think we’ll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it.”
When asked if he had the legal power to extend the deadline, he answered, “We do.”
Congress Disagrees
Trump’s decision goes against Congress. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill that required TikTok to either sell to a U.S. company or face a ban. Then-President Joe Biden signed it into law right away.
The law targeted security risks. U.S. officials feared China might use TikTok to spy or spread propaganda. At present, TikTok has 170 million users in the U.S.
In January, the Supreme Court upheld the law just before Trump returned to office. During inauguration weekend, TikTok briefly went offline. But it came back soon after.
Following that, TikTok thanked Trump for allowing the app to return.
Trump Tried to Sell TikTok—Now He Supports It
Back in 2020, Trump tried to force a sale of TikTok during his first term. He cited national security concerns at that time.
However, his view has changed. In December 2024, Trump praised the app and credited it for his election win.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points,” he said. Still, most young voters actually supported Kamala Harris.
Experts Say a Ban Seems Unlikely Now
Due to the repeated delays, many experts no longer believe the ban will happen.
“What ban? There is nothing ‘looming’ about the potential TikTok ban anymore,” said Kelsey Chickering, a lead analyst at Forrester.
Recently, TikTok launched new AI video tools at the Cannes festival. Chickering said this shows the app is confident about its future.
In her view, smaller apps like Snap may try to take advantage of this moment. “But they will not succeed because this next round for TikTok isn’t uncertain at all,” she added.
Talks Continue, But No Deal Yet
In April, the Trump administration said a deal was almost ready. This agreement would have moved control of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American company. Even so, the deal hasn’t gone through yet.
A ByteDance spokesperson said, “There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law.”
Several Buyers Are Interested
Trump has said he’s open to selling TikTok to Oracle. Its co-founder Larry Ellison is one of Trump’s close allies.
In addition, a second group of buyers has stepped forward. This team includes Frank McCourt (a billionaire businessman), Kevin O’Leary (a Canadian investor), Alexis Ohanian (co-founder of Reddit).
Also, YouTube superstar Jimmy Donaldson—better known as MrBeast—has expressed interest. He may join another group bidding to buy TikTok.
