United States President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok to sell its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese buyer by another 90 days. The new deadline is now set for September 17, 2025.
Trump made the announcement on Thursday through his Truth Social platform, saying, “I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days.” This is the third time he is giving the company more time.
The law to either sell or ban TikTok in the U.S. was originally meant to take effect just before Trump’s swearing-in in January, due to concerns that the app could be a security risk since it is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
Even though Trump has pushed for TikTok’s sale in the past, he has also admitted liking the platform. “I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he told NBC News in May, suggesting he was open to granting more time if needed.
TikTok welcomed the new extension. In a statement on Thursday, the company said, “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users.”
Trump said back in May that a group of investors was ready to pay ByteDance “a lot of money” for TikTok’s U.S. operations. He also claimed he was confident that a deal would be made.
The White House also confirmed that the government would use this extra time to make sure the deal is done properly and that American users’ data would be safe.
Some analysts believe Trump’s decision is also political. Independent analyst Rob Enderle said, “Unless they get on his bad side, TikTok is probably going to be in pretty good shape.”
Trump reportedly shifted his position on TikTok after the app helped him connect with younger voters during the 2024 election. ByteDance has admitted that it is in talks with the U.S. government, but any final decision would also need approval from China.
There are ongoing talks that some U.S. investors in ByteDance could become part of a new global company to operate TikTok. Big names like Oracle and Blackstone may be part of the plan to reduce China’s control.
ByteDance still controls TikTok’s powerful algorithm, which decides what users see. Experts say this is a major part of TikTok’s success. “TikTok without its algorithm is like Harry Potter without his wand — it’s simply not as powerful,” said Kelsey Chickering, an analyst at Forrester.
Even with all the political issues, TikTok continues to grow. Just this week, it launched new tools using artificial intelligence to help advertisers make quick video content.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains unclear, but for now, the app has three more months to secure its future.
