Is the TikTok ban in the US officially over? Considering that this has been the fourth time President Donald Trump has postponed the ban, users have questioned whether the ban would ever come to fruition at all.
Here’s how Trump addressed the issue.
What’s Donald Trump’s Latest Update on the Alleged ‘New Deal’ with China?
TikTok US was supposedly getting a new ownership structure and a new app for American users should the Trump administration push through their ink deal to comply with a federal law banning Chinese control of the app.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday outside the White House, Trump claimed, “We’ve got a deal on TikTok. I’ve reached a deal with China.”
He added that there are “very big companies that want to buy it” and that he would be speaking with Chinese president Xi Jinping on Friday “to confirm everything.”
While he spoke about the pressing TikTok ban matter, the deal isn’t final yet, and Trump is postponing his administration’s enforcement of the bill again by 90 days for the fourth time, with a new deadline of implementing it on December 16.
What Happens to US Users if the TikTok Divert-or-Ban Bill Passes?
A US law went into effect on January 19, 2025, wherein American companies are prohibited from hosting or distributing TikTok in the country as long as it remains controlled by the Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The legislation was passed last year, under the fear that the popular entertainment app’s ties to China’s communist regime could potentially make it a national security risk. It was signed into law by President Biden.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, TikTok's US business would be 80% owned and controlled by an investor consortium including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz.
Additionally, the current ByteDance investors would be part of the 80% ownership group, while Chinese shareholdings, including ByteDance, would own the remainder, according to anonymous sources from the outlet.
The Trump administration has been trying to reach a deal in restructuring TikTok US’s ownership that not only complies with the law but would also be acceptable to the Chinese government.
Trump was unsuccessful in his attempt to ban TikTok unless its ownership was transferred to US companies in the final months of his first administration.
However, after the 2024 election, he said, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” because “there are those who say” the app helped drive support for him among young voters.
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