Will TikTok survive in US? Know what Donald Trump said as April 5 deadline looms for ByteDance sale
President Trump asserts that a deal for TikTok's sale to a non-Chinese buyer will be finalised before the looming April 5 deadline, citing significant interest from potential buyers. The fate of the popular app hangs in the balance as US national security concerns prompt urgent negotiations.
President Donald Trump has said a deal with TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the short video app would be struck before the April 5 deadline, news agency Reuters reported on Sunday.
Trump had set the April 5 deadline in January for TikTok to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a US ban on national security grounds, under a 2024 law.
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"We have a lot of potential buyers," Trump told reporters on Air Force One late on Sunday. "There's tremendous interest in TikTok," adding, "I'd like to see TikTok remain alive," he said, as reported by Reuters.
According to reports, 170 million Americans use TikTok. President Donald Trump had previously signalled that he might extend the April 5 deadline if a sale cannot be completed in time.
TikTok was briefly taken offline in the United States due to a bipartisan law called the Protecting US Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. But soon after assuming office, Trump signed an executive order giving the app a 75-day reprieve to comply with the law.
Will TikTok be banned after April 5?
According to existing federal law, TikTok will be banned unless ByteDance divests its American business before the April 5 deadline. Trump said earlier that he would give another extension if the sale is not completed, as mentioned in a report by USA Today.
The law enabling the TikTok ban allows President Trump to make a 90-day extension of the divestment beyond April 5.
President Trump can still grant another extension, if he wishes. The Trump administration has yet to indicate whether it plans another executive order.
Last week, President Trump told reporters that he would consider lowering tariffs on China to encourage Beijing, where ByteDance is based, to support a sale of TikTok's US assets. However, the president ultimately said he would just extend the ban again if a deal isn't finalised by the deadline, USA Today reported.
TikTok ban on January 19
TikTok was banned on January 19 over concerns about its link with China. Trump, however, gave TikTok 75 days to find a new buyer based in the US. Whether ByteDance is open to selling the popular video app remains unclear.
"I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn't have originally, but I went on TikTok and I won young people," Trump said while signing the executive order.
(With inputs from Reuters)
- The April 5 deadline is critical for TikTok's future in the U.S.
- President Trump has the authority to extend the deadline if necessary.
- TikTok has significant user engagement in America, with 170 million users.
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