Trump extends TikTok sale deadline by 90 days

Trump extends TikTok’s sale deadline to US owner by 90 days, ensuring continued access for American users.

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to an American owner by another 90 days.

The executive order signed by Trump allows the Chinese company to continue operating in the U.S. until September 17, 2025. Trump announced the extension on Truth Social, expressing hope for a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During a flight on Air Force One, Trump suggested that Xi would be willing to approve a sale if a buyer appeared. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasised the administration’s aim to keep TikTok available for American users while ensuring data security.

TikTok has approximately 170 million users in the U.S., with declining support for a ban, according to Pew Research. An initial ban on the app, instituted under the Biden Administration over national security issues, briefly took effect but was reversed after Trump indicated he would allow TikTok to continue.

TikTok has asserted that it does not pose any security threats to the U.S. and that American data is not stored in China. Following the extension, users have returned to TikTok, with reduced engagement on competing platforms.

Past potential buyers include Amazon and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, though no sale was finalised due to trade tensions. Under U.S. law, ByteDance must sell TikTok to a U.S. buyer, but the company has remained silent about its intentions.