TikTok’s operations in the U.S. must either be transferred to American ownership or risk being banned. Nonetheless, reflecting the fluctuating political ambitions of those in charge of that potential ban, it likely shouldn’t be surprising that the future of this widely-used social media platform remains as unclear as ever.
The initial deadline for a sale was set for January 19 of this year, just a day before Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term. Within hours of his inauguration, Trump effectively stalled the ban — and he has done so twice more since then, most recently extending the deadline to slightly over a month from now (September 17). That marks the expiration of his third extension — and the moment when TikTok’s future will either be determined or postponed once again. If you’re feeling perplexed, you’re not the only one.
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Even at this advanced stage, no one can confidently predict how the situation will unfold. Here’s what’s on the line: ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, is reportedly preparing a new version of the app tailored for the U.S. market that could debut as soon as September 5. This strategy is part of a likely sale to a group of investors whose identities Trump has kept confidential. He has suggested in public comments that the group consists of “<a href="https://www.reuters.com
