TikTok has narrowly avoided a nationwide blackout — again — after President Donald Trump extended the U.S. TikTok ban deadline by another 75 days. On Thursday, he signed an executive order delaying enforcement until June 19, giving ByteDance more time to divest the app’s American operations or face a shutdown.
“My Administration has been working very hard on a deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, signaling that negotiations for a potential sale were advancing.
The move marks a dramatic shift from Trump’s earlier hardline stance. As recently as 2020, his administration attempted to ban TikTok outright, citing national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. That effort stalled in the courts, but a new bipartisan law passed in 2024 — and upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year — gave ByteDance a clear ultimatum: sell TikTok to a U.S. entity, or see it blocked nationwide.
That law’s first compliance deadline was January 19, 2025. TikTok briefly went dark in the U.S., vanishing from app stores as Apple and Google pulled the platform to comply with the ruling. Within 24 hours, Trump issued a temporary order restoring access — a lifeline that was due to expire this week.
With no deal finalized, the new extension gives ByteDance, the U.S. government and potential buyers more time to strike a solution. Behind the scenes, administration officials have been in talks with multiple suitors. Among them is billionaire Frank McCourt, who has proposed buying TikTok as part of his broader campaign to decentralize digital infrastructure.
Other potential buyers reportedly include Oracle, Microsoft and investor-led coalitions, though no agreement has been reached.
ByteDance has consistently pushed back, signaling it has no intention of giving up the app. In legal filings, the company argued that splitting TikTok from its Chinese parent is “not commercially, not technologically, not legally” feasible. China’s government has also warned against a forced sale, calling it a violation of its technology export rules — a stance that could block any proposed divestment unless Beijing approves the deal.
TikTok Ban Fails to Deter New Investments
Still, some U.S. companies are showing confidence in TikTok’s long-term prospects. Just this week, QVC Group launched a 24/7 live social shopping channel through TikTok Shop — the first of its kind in the U.S. A spokesperson for the company told the author of this article:
“TikTok is an amazing platform for showcasing our powerhouse stable of celebrities, hosts, brands and products. While we can’t speculate on the exact outcome between the US government and TikTok, we believe there will be a path forward for TikTok in the U.S. given that 170 million people use their platform.”
QVC’s announcement contrasts with the broader atmosphere of uncertainty. Despite TikTok’s attempts to reassure regulators — including relocating U.S. user data under “Project Texas,” a partnership with Oracle — officials from the FBI and other agencies continue to warn of national security risks tied to Chinese influence over the platform’s algorithm and governance.
For now, TikTok remains operational in the U.S. with more than 170 million American users, including a vast community of creators, small businesses and political influencers. President Trump himself joined the platform last year and has since amassed millions of followers — a reversal that underscores TikTok’s cultural and political reach.
Whether that presence will endure past June remains unclear. With the new 75-day extension now ticking, negotiations are expected to intensify. Any final deal would require alignment between ByteDance, a U.S. buyer, the federal government — and Beijing.
Until then, the TikTok ban and its future in the U.S., hangs in the balance.
