Overview

• President Trump plans to start formal negotiations with China on Monday or Tuesday after he said Washington had “pretty much” reached a sale deal for TikTok’s American operations.
• A consortium of US investors led by Oracle, Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz is cited as the buyer poised to acquire TikTok’s US business.
• The 2024 Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, upheld by the Supreme Court, mandates ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets by September 17, 2025, or face a ban.
• Beijing’s approval remains uncertain as China leverages TikTok in broader trade talks and has sought to retain a minority stake and control of the app’s algorithm.
• Republican lawmakers including Representative Darin LaHood warn that unresolved data privacy and algorithm vulnerabilities continue to pose national security risks under foreign ownership.