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TikTok Faces Uncertain Future as April 5 Ban Deadline Approaches

President Trump confirms discussions with four potential buyers for the platform, with ByteDance required to divest or face a U.S. ban.

FILE - A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stands at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - Alexis Ohanian poses for photos on the red carpet at the Women's Sports Foundation's Annual Salute to Women in Sports, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)
Will TikTok get banned on April 5? (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
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Overview

  • President Trump has extended the TikTok ban deadline to April 5, requiring ByteDance to sell the platform to approved buyers or face a nationwide ban in the U.S.
  • The administration is in talks with four unnamed groups interested in purchasing TikTok, but no deal has been finalized yet.
  • Potential buyers include a consortium led by Frank McCourt and Alexis Ohanian, another involving MrBeast and Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and companies like Microsoft and Rumble.
  • If ByteDance does not sell TikTok by the deadline, the app will become illegal for U.S. internet service providers and app stores to host, though existing users will not face penalties.
  • Trump has suggested the U.S. government could take a 50% stake in TikTok, but details on how this would work remain unclear, and ByteDance has not confirmed its willingness to sell.