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  • TikTok deadline extended

Summary

  • April 5th is the deadline for TikTok to sell assets or be banned from US devices.
  • Trump suggests a potential deal involving Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz.
  • Uncertainty surrounds the possible formation of “TikTok America” and ByteDance’s willingness to sell.

UPDATE: 2025/04/04 14:41 EST BY WILL SATTELBERG

TikTok deadline extended

As expected, shortly after this story went live, the Trump administration extended TikTok’s deadline to make a sale for the second time, CNBC reports. Just as in January, it’s another 75 day extension, making the new deadline June 19th, 2025. The deal was announced on Truth Social, Trump’s social platform of choice. According to that CNBC report, a ByteDance spokesperson added “An agreement has not been executed. There are key matters to be resolved.” Our original report follows.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting what date is right around the corner — bigger fish to fry in the global economy, after all — but April 5th isn’t just the date that will see massive reciprocal tariffs enacted by the US. It’s also the date the Trump administration set as the current deadline for TikTok to sell or divest its assets or be banned (technically rebanned) from US devices. But what happens next is as much a mystery to you and I as it seems to be to ByteDance, the company behind TikTok.

Heading into the weekend, here’s what we know. On Thursday, Trump made comments on Air Force One that a deal was close to being made, as reported by Bloomberg. Earlier in the week, he reviewed proposals that included investors from Oracle — which has long been a contender for acquiring TikTok, following its work on Project Texas — alongside investment firm Blackstone Inc. and Trump-friendly venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz.

‘TikTok America’ could be on its way

But only if a plan comes together at the last minute

That said, despite rumors to announce a plan for “TikTok America,” the Trump administration has yet to lock anything down. The Information (via The Verge) previously reported that this plan involves a 50 percent ownership in TikTok by new US-based investors, alongside shares for ByteDance and existing ByteDance owners. This company would license TikTok’s algorithm from ByteDance, rather than acquiring the algorithm wholesale.

Presumably, that consortium led by Oracle is the leading group to start whatever “TikTok America” is destined to become, but they’re far from the only companies interested in acquiring everyone’s favorite social media app. AppLovin, a market analysis and ad targeting firm that previously owned a mobile gaming development business, is also in the race to buy TikTok — or, at least, the newly-founded American arm of TikTok. Amazon, one of the few major tech giants today without a major social application, is also reportedly interested.

Of course, all of this depends on ByteDance being willing to sell, which has seemed unlikely so far. Trump has suggested using this looming TikTok drama as a key negotiation point since announcing 34 percent in additional tariffs on China Wednesday, though considering China responded with similar retaliatory efforts on Friday morning, it doesn’t seem like that route will find any success.

Frankly, if you’re a TikTok user worried about losing access to the app this week — as happened back in January, when TikTok preemptively shut down its servers during the final days of the Biden administration — I wouldn’t stress. Although April 5th is an actual deadline for TikTok, Trump’s entire relationship with the app has often flip flopped based on his own popularity, and an additional extension, or even a lack of pursuing legal cases against TikTok, Google, or Apple, seems more likely than an outright ban. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what gets announced over the next 24 hours.