US President Donald Trump announced today that he will sign an executive order to extend the deadline for TikTok’s continued operations in the United States for an additional 75 days. This decision comes as his administration remains engaged in ongoing negotiations regarding the potential sale of the popular social media platform’s US operations.
TikTok, which was initially banned under the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act on January 19, had faced a looming deadline set for April 5. The law stipulated that if the platform did not reach a deal to sell its US operations, it would be barred from operating. However, Trump’s executive order grants the company an extended period, offering a two-and-a-half-month reprieve.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump highlighted that his administration has made “tremendous progress” in discussions aimed at “saving” TikTok, although he acknowledged that more work is still required. Speculation has been rife about which companies and investors could be involved in a potential deal, with names like Oracle and Perplexity emerging as possible suitors.
Additionally, high-profile figures, including YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson (better known as MrBeast), Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley, and billionaire Frank McCourt, are reportedly among those showing interest. Amazon, too, has thrown its hat into the ring with an offer this week.
While TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to sell the platform, and Chinese authorities have not agreed to any deal, Trump remains optimistic.
He suggested that tariffs could be leveraged as part of a broader strategy to secure an agreement. It is widely speculated that any potential deal could involve multiple US investors and may see the TikTok algorithm leased from ByteDance, although it remains unclear whether such an arrangement would comply with the requirements of the law.
The unfolding situation continues to stir political and social debate, with discussions being hosted in our Political News forum. All members of the forum, with at least 100 posts, are welcome to contribute, while others can follow the updates.
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