A TikTok deal ticks closer to done
After months of delays and extended deadlines, it appears a deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States on a permanent basis is in its final stages.
That’s good. And, well, maybe not so good.
For months, ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, faced an ultimatum: either divest the platform’s American business or be shut down. That’s because of the U.S. government’s fears about ByteDance sharing Americans’ personal data with the Chinese government — something ByteDance said it would never do.
Since the beginning of his term in January, President Donald Trump has signed several orders delaying the deadline for divestment. On Thursday, however, he signed an executive order readying the platform for sale — moving a step closer to a final deal.
Related Knowledge Center: The TikTok ban
The U.S. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law a measure banning TikTok if it weren’t sold by its Chinese ownership. But now-President Donald Trump gave the service a reprieve, and a sale of its U.S. operations appears imminent.