Trump extends deadline for TikTok deal
Pres. Trump announces executive order to extend deadline for TikTok sale
President Trump has announced that he will sign an executive order to keep TikTok active in the United States for 75 days from now. The social media short form video app is supposed to go dark within days due to Congressional law.
President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for a new TikTok deal to prevent the app from going dark Saturday.
The president was expected to outline the structure of a new plan to find a non-Chinese buyer for TikTok this week, but opted instead to extend the April 5 deadline.
Trump discussed the plans Friday on his Truth Social platform.
"My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days," he wrote.
Under a law upheld by the Supreme Court, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance is required to sell the platform to an approved buyer or take it offline in the United States. Lawmakers and the high court agreed that the ban – or the sale – is necessary for national security.
President Donald Trump is expected to announce his plans to save TikTok on April 2, 2025 Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images
How will TikTok be saved?
What we know:
According to The Information, under the new deal, the wildly popular social media app is expected to be called TikTok America and be about 50% owned by new U.S. investors. The plan would include licensing TikTok’s algorithm from ByteDance.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear who Trump will choose as the new investors, and whether the U.S. investors would meet the conditions of federal law, according to The New York Times. It's also unclear whether China will approve the sale.
What they're saying:
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Trump said he would "like to see TikTok remain alive." He previously indicated that he would consider reducing tariffs against China if the country approves the deal.
Who wants to buy TikTok?
Casey Anthony joins TikTok as 'legal advocate'
"America's most hated mom," Casey Anthony, is now promoting a new video series on TikTok in which she intends to speak about legal issues and "advocate" for her daughter, Caylee, whom she was accused of killing in 2008. LiveNOW's Andy Mac spoke about Anthony's new social media presence with TMZ's Michael Babcock.
What's next:
Amazon reportedly put in a last-minute bid to buy TikTok earlier this week, The Associated Press reported, adding to the list of potential investors.
Others include the software company Oracle and the investment firm Blackstone. According to The Wall Street Journal, AppLovin has also made a bid to acquire TikTok.
RELATED: TikTok bidding war: Amazon reportedly casts last-minute offer
A consortium organized by billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, who recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser, has also made an offer. Investors in the consortium say they’ve offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikTok’s U.S. platform. If successful, they plan to redesign the popular app with blockchain technology they say will provide users with more control over their online data.
Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com, says he too has organized a consortium, which includes the CEO of the video game platform Roblox, and is offering ByteDance more than $30 billion for TikTok.
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Trump said in January that Microsoft was also eyeing the popular app. Other interested parties include Trump’s former Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and Rumble, the video site popular with some conservatives and far-right groups. In a post on X last March, Rumble said it was ready to join a consortium of parties interested in purchasing TikTok and serving as a tech partner for the company.
TikTok national security concerns
Dig deeper:
During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok on national security grounds, which was halted by the courts before his administration negotiated a sale of the platform that eventually failed to materialize. He changed his position on the popular app during last year’s presidential election and has credited the platform with helping him win more young voters.
The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.
The other side:
TikTok points out the U.S. has not presented evidence that China has attempted to manipulate content on its U.S. platform or gather American user data through TikTok.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press, The Information, The New York Times The Wall Street Journal and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting. FOX's Chris Williams contributed.