Tiktok once again counts it as a federal ban unless some kind of deal is reached by the weekend.
The popular social media app faces a Saturday deadline, selling itself to buyers that U.S. officials think are suitable, or being banned in the country.
But a lot of things can happen before that. Several potential bidders have known their interests in recent months, and President Donald Trump is likely to opt to extend the sales deadline again.
Recently, Trump told Air Force media later Sunday: “There is great interest in Tiktok.” He added that he “wanted to see Tiktok still alive”. Trump also said, “We have a lot of potential buyers” and the government is “dealing with China” and has long opposed the sale.
Last week, Trump said he would consider lowering tariffs on Chinese goods if the government approves the sale of Tiktok’s U.S. operations. He also reiterated his willingness to postpone the deadline when needed.
Also last week, a group of Democratic senators sent Trump a letter asking for information on any efforts to prevent the ban from taking effect and urged the administration to work with Congress on any potential resolution. The group had previously proposed a law that delayed the ban until October 16 but was blocked by Republicans.
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Lawmakers in both parties have long expressed concern that Tiktok could pose a threat to national security that the Chinese government can use to monitor Americans or spread false information to further the Chinese agenda. Last year Congress passed overwhelming bipartisan support and the law was signed by then-President Joe Biden.
Tiktok continues to deny the allegations, and it and the Chinese government both expressed opposition to the sale. It is not clear whether they have changed their position. A Tiktok spokesperson did not return a request for comment Thursday.
So what’s next for Tiktok? This is what you need to know.
Watch the following: United States and Tiktok: What’s going to happen next
What does the law do?
The law aims to force Tiktok’s China-based parent company to sell Tiktok to U.S. officials and can guarantee that BONTEDANCE will no longer have access to U.S. user data or control over Tiktok’s algorithm.
Tiktok was given nine months of compliance, so the January 19 sales deadline was initially when the government might need to remove its apps from the U.S. app stores and other tech companies stopped supporting apps and websites.
Tiktok closed in the U.S. on the evening of January 18, citing the ban, but the next morning, Trump promised that he would not immediately enforce the ban. Trump later signed an execution order directing the attorney general not to enforce the ban for 75 days, effectively moving the deadline to April 5.
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What does Trump mean?
After initially calling for a ban during his first presidency, Trump said during the 2024 campaign that he did not support one person and promised to “save Tiktok”, although he did not specify how he did it.
Trump also proposed the idea that the U.S. took 50% of the company’s shares as part of the joint venture, but did not give specific information on how it works.
Tiktok CEO Shou Chew was one of several high-profile tech executives who attended Trump’s inauguration in January, just hours before Trump signed the order to grant a 75-day extension.
It was followed by a December press conference that Trump pointed out Tiktok’s role in the election to help him get votes from young people.
“Tictok made an impact, so we’re studying it,” Trump said. “I have a warm place in my heart. Honestly.”
Is the deal coming soon?
Trump told reporters earlier this month that a deal might be reached soon. He did not provide any details about the potential buyers, but said the government was holding talks with “four different groups” on Tiktok.
Vice President JD Vance, who has helped to reach the deal, also expressed that the sale deal could be reached by April 5.
“There is almost certainly a high-level agreement that I think meets our national security issues and gives the US Tiktok Enterprise a unique agreement,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News on March 14.
One of the consortiums led by billionaire investor Frank McCourt, including one of the consortiums led by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
If successful, the team said that this would turn the app into an “upgraded internet”, leaving behind Tiktok’s algorithm, long considered an addictive secret sauce behind the app, to give users more control over what they see and how their data is used.
