With TikTok’s future ownership in the United States still uncertain after the Trump administration granted the app another lifeline, speculation over who will ultimately control TikTok USA is running high. The app has frequently been accused of acting against American national interests due to its aggressive data collection practices, even though it is privately owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance.
Despite potential national security concerns, TikTok remains immensely popular in the U.S. and is the go-to social media platform for younger generations. Tens of millions of people across the country are waiting to see who will take ownership of TikTok U.S. and how it will impact the app’s operations.
President Trump utilized the platform in an effort to connect with younger American voters during the November 2024 election and has given ByteDance until April 5 to either divest TikTok or cease operations in the U.S.
In March 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring ByteDance to sell the popular social media app to a neutral party within six months or face a ban. This measure was upheld in December 2024 by a federal appeals court, but on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension. However, ByteDance has made it clear that it does not intend to divest TikTok, leaving the app’s future in the U.S. uncertain.
The Trump administration may seek a solution that allows TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. without requiring a sale before the April deadline. Initially, Trump supported banning TikTok but swiftly changed his stance after using the app to engage younger voters in the 2024 election. In a recent interview aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that “plenty of people are interested in the app” and noted that his administration has “a chance of doing something good.”
In spite of interest from American investors, ByteDance has not indicated any willingness to sell TikTok. The company briefly shut down TikTok U.S. on January 19 as the original deadline approached but resumed operations after President Trump extended the deadline. Furthermore, both Google and Apple reinstated TikTok in their app stores, restoring full user access after the app was unavailable for several hours.
Finding a solution that keeps TikTok in the U.S. will require discussions about user data security. While U.S. officials argue that TikTok collects an excessive amount of user data, the company maintains that all collected data is securely stored. Mark MacCarthy, a senior fellow at the Institute for Technology Law and Policy at Georgetown Law, believes the next few months will be crucial in determining TikTok’s fate on the American market.
Other players in the social media space, such as Momo Inc. (NASDAQ: MOMO), will be following how the storm around TikTok plays out so that they can learn some lessons that could serve them well in the future.
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