Trump extends the deadline: TikTok will continue working in the United States until this date
The Trump administration decided to extend for the third time the deadline for ByteDance to sell its operations in the country
If you are one of the millions of TikTok users, there is good news: you won't have to say goodbye to the app for now. The Trump administration just extended the deadline for ByteDance to sell its US operations to September 17, 2025, meaning you can keep enjoying your favorite videos and creating content uninterrupted for several more months.
Trump, TikTok’s Enemy or Unexpected Ally?
Clearly, Trump isn’t the pro-TikTok fan he is by aesthetics: in 2020 and 2024, he pushed for laws to restrict apps “controlled by foreign adversaries” like TikTok. But upon his return to the White House, he found himself using the app to connect with younger people, and a change of tactic occurred: instead of deleting it outright, he decided to give it postponements.
This is now the third extension he's signed: first it was due in January, then in April, then in June, and now the date of September 17, 2025, is resonating. So it's not a mistake: the administration prefers to buy time to secure a deal before banning the platform.
Furthermore, this new order establishes that the Department of Justice will not sanction app stores for non-compliance during these 90 days. This is necessary because otherwise, companies like Apple and Google could face multi-million-dollar fines.
What's at stake: data, geopolitics, and business
The legal basis for the ultimatum is PAFACA (Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act), passed in April 2024 under Biden. It dictates that TikTok must sell its US business or be blocked to protect sensitive user data.
ByteDance and several US funds (Oracle, Blackstone, Amazon, Andreessen Horowitz, etc.) had made progress on an agreement that would create a US company, but Beijing halted negotiations after new tariffs imposed by the US.
So time is needed to fine-tune that agreement and obtain China's blessing. Meanwhile, Trump is using the extension as a bargaining chip, even offering potential tariff relief.
For now, you can continue enjoying TikTok worry-free, creating and sharing content as usual. But beyond September 17, the platform's future in the United States becomes uncertain, and everything will depend on how the negotiations and political decisions that are yet to be defined evolve.