Trump grants ByteDance 75‑day extension to finalize TikTok sale

• Donald Trump extended the deadline for the sale of TikTok's American assets by 75 days, which means that the Chinese company ByteDance has more time to find a buyer outside of China.
• Ban on operations of TikTok in the U.S. was set to come into effect in January if ByteDance did not sell its American assets.
• Discussions about TikTok's future involve a plan in which investors outside of China will increase their stakes in ByteDance and take over the app's American operations.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday at 2:00 PM Eastern Time the decision to extend the deadline by 75 days for the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok's American assets.

This decision stems from the need to refine the deal, which still requires necessary approvals.

Trump emphasized that his administration is in talks with four different groups regarding a potential deal, though he did not disclose their names. We do not want TikTok to 'go dark,'" he added.

According to information obtained by Reuters, talks conducted by the White House focus on a plan in which the largest investors outside of China in ByteDance will increase their stakes and take over TikTok's American operations.

The plan also includes establishing a separate American entity for TikTok and reducing Chinese stakes to below 20%, as required by U.S. law.

The biggest obstacle to implementing this plan is the consent of the Chinese government, which has so far not publicly committed to allowing the sale.

In January, TikTok was temporarily unavailable in the U.S. due to the upcoming deadline for the law banning its operations if it remains owned by ByteDance. However, Trump postponed the start of the law's enforcement, which allowed the platform's operations to resume.