Washington: The Biden-era debate over TikTok has turned into a Trump-era standoff. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to extend, for the fourth time, the deadline given to Chinese tech giant ByteDance to either sell its popular video-sharing platform TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a nationwide shutdown. The current deadline, set for September 17, appears likely to be pushed further amid ongoing political, diplomatic, and economic wrangling.
The divestment law, passed earlier this year with strong bipartisan backing, required ByteDance to either sell TikTok to an American entity or exit the U.S. market. Initially, the cut-off was January 2025, but Trump has repeatedly issued extensions first into April, then into June, and most recently into September. Each postponement has fueled frustration in Congress, where lawmakers on both sides believe the White House is wavering on enforcing a national security mandate.
Trump’s stance on TikTok has shifted over time. Earlier in the year, he insisted that American buyers were ready to acquire the U.S. arm of the company and signaled a willingness to allow more time for negotiations. In recent weeks, however, his rhetoric has been more ambiguous. “We may let it die, or we may … it depends, up to China,” he remarked, before adding that keeping TikTok operational might be worthwhile “for the kids.” Such remarks have only added to the uncertainty surrounding the administration’s ultimate intentions.
At the center of the impasse is China’s control over TikTok’s algorithm the powerful recommendation engine that drives the app’s popularity. Beijing has made clear that any transfer of the algorithm to foreign ownership requires its approval, creating a diplomatic bottleneck that complicates U.S. efforts to finalize a sale. As a result, negotiations have dragged on without resolution, with both American investors and Chinese regulators exerting competing pressures.
Meanwhile, the geopolitical dimension is hard to ignore. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently met Chinese counterparts in Spain, where TikTok was among the items discussed. Yet insiders admit that no breakthrough is expected before the September 17 deadline. The platform, used by an estimated 170 million Americans, remains deeply entwined with U.S.–China trade relations and broader questions of technological sovereignty.
For lawmakers in Washington, patience is wearing thin. Democrats and Republicans alike argue that repeated extensions weaken U.S. credibility and undermine the very purpose of the law. National security hawks stress that TikTok’s Chinese ownership could leave American data vulnerable to surveillance or manipulation. Civil liberties advocates, however, caution that a forced shutdown could harm free expression and disrupt the online economy.
As the deadline looms, the fate of TikTok remains in limbo with users, advertisers, and investors all anxiously watching. A fourth extension would buy time but not certainty, raising questions about how long Washington is willing to prolong a decision that has already stretched over nine months. The coming week is likely to determine whether TikTok survives in its current form or whether the White House is prepared to take the drastic step of forcing its hand.