TikTok ban coming soon? April 5 deadline approaching; will Donald Trump extend it? What we know

Time is ticking away for TikTok as it looks at a ban in the United States. Since Donald Trump assumed presidency, where he promised to ‘save TikTok’ there have been assumptions that the app may see a new owner in the US, have an extension on the ban or simply be banned again.

Last year, the US Congress under Joe Biden’s presidency passed a ban on the app saying that it would be working in US again only when its Chinese parent ByteDance goes for a disinvestment in the country.

After taking office, President Donald Trump gave TikTok a 75-day reprieve by signing an executive order that delayed enforcement of the statute until April 5.

However, as time passes and less than a month remains for TikTok to decide its fate, it is still unclear what will happen to the popular app. The US Supreme Court has upheld the original decision, meaning that TikTok is left with the same options as before – to divest or face a ban.

TikTok ban: What happens on April 5?

If TikTok’s Chinese parent does not divest by March 5 or it is not sold to an approved buyer by April 5, it could mean that the nationwide ban could go into effect.

However, the deadline for Trump’s order does not appear to be as solid, with the president reiterating that the extension continue if need be.

The decision to keep TikTok alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny according to the Associated Press, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court.

TikTok deal soon?

As Trump returned from his Florida home to Washington this Sunday, Trump said that there was a possibility of a TikTok deal soon.

Talking to reporters, he said the administration was in talks with “four different groups” about TikTok. However, the President did not provide any details about the deal or the groups.

“A lot of people want it and it’s up to me,” Trump was quoted as saying by AP aboard Air Force One.

The President has said he is looking to have the US government broker a deal for 50% control of TikTok. However, the administration hasn’t provided details on what exactly that would entail, or what role the government could play in the future of the short-form video app.

Possible buyers of TikTok

According to AP, several potential buyers have come forward over the past few weeks to purchase the app.

In January, Perplexity AI presented ByteDance with a merger proposal, to combine both their businesses in the US.

Another potential buyer is a consortium of businessmen including billionaire Frank McCourt. The consortium had recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic advisor.

As per reports, the members of this consortium say they’ve offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for buying TikTok’s US business.

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, making the offer more attractive.

Trump had in January said that Microsoft is also eyeing to buy TikTok from ByteDance in the US.