Trump grants TikTok third reprieve, pushing sale deadline to mid-September

In a move that grants TikTok a 90-day reprieve, US President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for the Chinese-owned social media giant to divest from its parent company, ByteDance.

The extension, announced in an executive order signed on Thursday evening, pushes the deadline for a sale or ban of the app to September 17, 2025. This marks the third time the Trump administration has delayed the enforcement of a law requiring the app’s divestment over national security concerns.

Bipartisan support for a ban

TikTok has been at the centre of a protracted debate in the US over data security and the company’s ties to China.

In 2020, during his first administration, Trump ordered the app to either sell to an American company or face a ban, citing national security risks. The concern was that the Beijing-based ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok could enable the Chinese government to access sensitive user data, including the personal information of millions of American users.

In 2023, Congress passed bipartisan legislation requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership, and the US Supreme Court upheld the potential ban. However, since taking office in January 2025, Trump has issued two executive orders extending the deadline for TikTok’s compliance, citing both national security and political reasons. The latest extension gives the company until mid-September to finalise an agreement to divest.

Political manoeuvring behind the delay

While TikTok has 170 million users in the US, its future has been clouded by ongoing negotiations.

ByteDance’s attempts to reach a solution have faced hurdles, especially after trade tensions between the US and China worsened. In April, talks between ByteDance and the US government were reportedly close to a deal, but Trump’s decision to ramp up tariffs against China complicated matters.

Following the recent extension, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration aims to ensure that any deal would guarantee the protection of American user data from foreign influence. Trump has also made it clear that he sees TikTok’s continuation as a valuable tool for American consumers and businesses, which rely on the platform for marketing and content creation.

Ongoing negotiations and potential buyers

As the clock ticks down to the September deadline, TikTok’s future remains uncertain. Several US companies, including tech giants Oracle and Amazon, as well as asset managers like Blackstone, have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the platform.

The Chinese government has previously signalled that it would need to approve such a sale under Chinese law. Trump has said he expects the approval would be granted.

Investors will be closely watching the outcome of the TikTok saga, as it could set a precedent for future tech acquisitions and the regulation of foreign-owned companies operating in the US.