President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for TikTok to be sold or face a ban in the United States.
A bipartisan law passed by Congress last year requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, Byte Dance, to divest from the app.
In January, the platform briefly went offline in the U.S. after the law took effect, but Trump stepped in, pushing the deadline to April 5. He has now granted an additional 75-day extension, giving negotiators until June to strike a deal.
U.S. officials have cited national security concerns, warning that Chinese authorities could potentially access TikTok’s vast user data — a claim Beijing strongly denies.
Potential Buyers Line Up for TikTok
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Thursday, former President Donald Trump said that “multiple investors” are close to finalizing a deal to purchase TikTok.
He also hinted at a possible arrangement in which China would greenlight the sale in exchange for easing U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Several potential buyers have surfaced in recent reports.
Amazon has reportedly made a last-minute pitch to the White House to acquire TikTok, according to CBS News. The company has declined to comment.
Trump has previously said he would support a sale to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison or Elon Musk, though Musk has stated he has no plans to buy the app.
Other prospective buyers include billionaire Frank McCourt and Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, known for his role on Shark Tank. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has also joined McCourt’s bid.
YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as Mr Beast, has expressed interest in joining an investor group looking to buy TikTok.
Tim Stokely, founder of Only Fans, has also made an offer through his newly revived company, Zoop.
Additional names reportedly in the running include Microsoft, investment firm Blackstone, venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz, and AI search startup Perplexity.
The White House is also said to be exploring an alternative proposal that would allow Byte Dance to retain ownership of TikTok’s core algorithm, while licensing it to a U.S.-based company to operate the platform domestically.
What Happens if No Deal is Reached? Could TikTok Be Banned?
If a deal isn’t secured by April 5, TikTok could once again face a ban in the U.S. and be removed from major app stores.
While Trump signed an executive order in January that temporarily delayed the ban by 75 days, it didn’t overturn the law passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court.
Technically, the ban is still in effect — Trump has simply chosen not to enforce it for now. He could continue that approach by instructing the Department of Justice not to act on the law.
In practice, this means the government would be signaling to Apple and Google that they won’t face penalties for allowing TikTok to remain available for download.
TikTok reappeared on both app stores in February after Apple and Google were reportedly assured they wouldn't be punished for hosting it.
Trump has also suggested he would “probably” extend the deadline again if necessary.
What Other Platforms Might TikTok Users Turn To?
TikTok says it had 170 million users in the U.S. in 2024, with the average user spending 51 minutes per day on the app.
If efforts to sell TikTok fall through, experts say platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are well-positioned to gain ground.
"Chief marketing officers we've spoken to confirmed they would shift their ad budgets to Meta and Google if TikTok is no longer an option," said Kelsey Chickering, an analyst at research firm Forrester.
Amazon’s Twitch could also see a boost. Known for its livestreaming—one of TikTok’s most popular features—Twitch is a favorite among gamers but is steadily expanding into broader content.
Other fast-growing contenders include Xiaohongshu, known to U.S. users as RedNote, a Chinese-owned platform gaining traction in both the U.S. and UK markets.