President Donald Trump has on ce again extended the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the video-sharing platform to an American owner. The executive order, signed Thursday, gives the company until September 17 to finalize a sale, marking the third such extension since Trump returned to office.
The extension allows TikTok to continue operating in the United States while negotiations for a potential acquisition remain unresolved. The requirement for ByteDance to divest TikTok stems from national security legislation enacted under the Biden administration, which mandated a ban on the platform unless it came under U.S. ownership. Although TikTok briefly went offline following the law’s passage, it resumed service after Trump indicated support for keeping the app accessible to Americans.
According to the White House, the extension reflects the administration’s desire to preserve user access while working toward a resolution. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the new deadline offers time “to 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.”
ByteDance has not commented on whether it intends to complete a sale. Previous interest came from companies including Amazon and investor groups led by figures like Alexis Ohanian and Steven Mnuchin. However, recent tensions between Washington and Beijing – particularly after the imposition of new tariffs – have complicated negotiations.
TikTok maintains that it does not pose a national security risk, asserting that U.S. user data is not stored in China. Still, the Supreme Court has upheld the Biden-era legislation requiring divestment. As of now, the platform continues to serve over 170 million U.S. users, but its future hinges on whether a sale materializes before the new September deadline.
