Trump says he will extend TikTok sale deadline if deal fails to reach on time
ByteDance has one more month to sell TikTok (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that he likely will extend the deadline for the sale of the TikTok app if an agreement is not reached by the initial deadline. He emphasized that the US has a significant interest in the social media platform, according to CNN.
"We have a lot of interest in TikTok...Right now we have at least another month, so we don’t need an extension. But if I needed an extension, I’d probably get an extension," Trump said during a conversation with journalists at the White House.
He also added that China will play its part in the decision-making process. However, the American president did not specify how long the extension would be if it becomes necessary.
What preceded this
In April 2024, during Joe Biden's presidency, a law was signed requiring the TikTok social media platform to be sold to a US owner or one of its allies. Otherwise, the app would be blocked due to national security concerns.
Shortly before Donald Trump took office as US president on January 20, the app was indeed blocked as the law came into effect. Even VPNs failed to bypass the restriction, and the app disappeared from the App Store and Play Market within the US.
However, on the very day of his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, an additional 75 days to find a new owner. Following this extension, the app resumed operations and became available on the marketplaces again.
