Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline to September 2025

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending the deadline for TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app's U.S. operations by another 90 days, delaying the potential ban until September 17, 2025. This is the third extension since Trump took office for his second term, signaling a shift from his previous attempts to ban TikTok outright, as he now emphasizes protecting American users' data and keeping the platform accessible. The extension allows TikTok, which has over 170 million U.S. users, to continue operating while negotiations for a sale to an American-based buyer proceed, although no agreement has yet been reached amid complications including China's approval and recent tariff increases. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the administration does not want TikTok to go dark, intending to use the additional time to ensure a secure deal. Trump expressed confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve the sale, while ByteDance denies risks to user data but remains legally obligated to divest its U.S. operations under national security law passed during the Biden administration. Some Democratic lawmakers have questioned the repeated deadline extensions and the adequacy of the proposed deal from a legal standpoint.