The popular video-sharing app TikTok is once again on the chopping block in the United States. With a looming April 5, 2025 deadline, parent company ByteDance has just days to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. But now, former President Donald Trump is stepping in—not to support the ban this time, but to extend the deadline.
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, has long been at the center of a national security debate. Lawmakers fear the app could be used by the Chinese government to spy on American users. While this fear initially gained bipartisan traction, public opinion is now changing. A new Pew Research poll found that support for a TikTok ban is down to 34%, compared to 50% two years ago.
Trump, who once pushed to ban TikTok during his presidency, has reversed his stance. Now, he not only credits TikTok with helping him connect with voters, but is also calling for the April deadline to be extended. According to sources, he believes a longer timeline is needed to ensure a proper deal—and he may even have his own interests in mind with supporters and influencers active on the platform.
Trump’s call aligns with some Democratic lawmakers who are also urging for the deadline to be pushed to October 2025, citing the complexity of securing an American buyer for such a massive platform.
Despite the urgency, no official buyer has stepped forward. However, tech expert Lance Ulanoff shared that a few groups are reportedly interested. Names floating around include MrBeast, a popular YouTube creator; a Shark Tank investor; and Oracle. Still, none have confirmed a formal bid.
Ulanoff added that while national security concerns are real, many Americans feel banning TikTok would infringe on free speech and creative freedom. “We’ve been willfully giving our data to social media companies for years,” he noted. “And China likely has more effective cyber tools than TikTok.”
With Trump now pushing for more time and Congress split, the future of TikTok in the U.S. hangs in the balance. If no deal is reached or deadline extended, TikTok could be banned starting April 6, disappearing from app stores and leaving millions of users in digital limbo.
