Donald Trump may extend TikTok sale deadline, says U.S. buyers ready
Under a law passed in 2024, TikTok was required to halt operations in the U.S. by January 19, 2025, unless ByteDance sold its American assets or showed significant progress toward a deal.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that American buyers are ready to acquire TikTok's U.S. assets and signalled that he could again extend deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the popular short video platform, Reuters reported.
His comments come just days after the White House itself joined the popular short-video platform.
Also Read: Donald Trump says he has a buyer for TikTok’s US operations, but won’t reveal name for ‘two weeks’
Speaking reporters, Trump dismissed bipartisan concerns raised by lawmakers over the app's data privacy and potential national security risks. "I'm really not concerned. I think it's highly overrated... I'm a fan of TikTok," he said in the report.
Under a law passed in 2024, TikTok was required to halt operations in the U.S. by January 19, 2025, unless ByteDance sold its American assets or showed significant progress toward a deal.
However, Trump - who took office on January 20 - has repeatedly declined to enforce the mandate. He already pushed the deadline once, from January to September 17, and suggested more extensions could follow.
"I haven't spoken to President Xi about it," Trump said during a visit to a White House gift shop near the presidential residence, the report added. He added that there are "very substantial American buyers" interested in purchasing TikTok but did not disclose names.
Some lawmakers have criticized the administration’s delays, accusing Trump of disregarding the law and downplaying potential risks tied to Chinese control of the app.
The president, however, appeared unfazed, saying his administration would simply "watch for any problems."
