TikTok's Clock Is Ticking: What We Know About Finding a Buyer

This week, TikTok users might feel a sense of deja vu as the app's fate hangs in the balance once more. A possible ban in the U.S. could be imminent within the next few days.

ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, must sell the app’s U.S. operations by April 5 following an extension from President Donald Trump in January; otherwise, it risks being banned in the country. The events leading up to this weekend could have major consequences for the platform. 170 million Americans Who utilize TikTok for discovering news, entertainment, community engagement, and, in certain instances, earning a livelihood.

A lot of uncertainties still surround the possibility of a deal, yet devoted TikTok users can take heart. Multiple contenders have shown interest in acquiring the application, and Trump has indicated his willingness to assist in making a deal happen and maintaining accessibility to the service.

"We have numerous potential buyers interested in acquiring TikTok; there's significant demand for it. Ultimately, the final call will be mine," stated Trump. told reporters On Air Force One on Sunday, he stated, "I would like to see TikTok stay alive."

This is what we understand regarding TikTok's potential outlook as the cutoff for either selling or banning draws near.

What led us to this point?

Last year, President Joe Biden enacted legislation mandating ByteDance to divest itself of the U.S. arm of the application or else confront a prohibition on TikTok within the country. Lawmakers in the United States have persistently worried that TikTok represents a potential threat to national security due to concerns that its Beijing-headquartered parent firm might be compelled to surrender American user information or tweak the platform’s algorithms as directed by the Chinese authorities.

In January, TikTok took itself offline For approximately 14 hours—and after the law’s sale-or-ban deadline had passed without an agreement—the app stores in the United States cut off access to the platform.

But TikTok restored US users’ access Following Trump’s pledge to extend the deadline, upon assuming office, Trump pushed back the ban deadline by 75 days with the aim of facilitating a negotiation for the app to be acquired by an American proprietor. Stores were also instructed accordingly. restored access to TikTok in February.

During his previous term as president, it was Trump who initially attempted to prohibit TikTok. However, he later stated that he had a change of heart after trying out the app himself.

In January, Trump raised doubts about the national security concerns Around the app, they questioned, "Does China really need to spy on young individuals? On children watching strange videos?"

Who could buy TikTok?

Multiple key players have surfaced as possible purchasers of the platform’s operations in the U.S.

They consist of a team headed by multi-billionaire ex-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank McCourt And famous "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary; another group that includes social media influencer Jimmy Donaldson (known as MrBeast) and Jesse Tinsley, who founded Employer.com; and AI firm Perplexity .

Several media organizations such as Politico, NPR, and Bloomberg , have also reported That Oracle – TikTok’s present US tech collaborator – is a leading candidate to assume control of the app’s operations within the US. A deal like this seems imminent. could reportedly involve ByteDance will keep part of its ownership in TikTok, along with increased investment From the firm's current U.S.-based backers, including General Atlantic and Susquehanna.

Oracle did not reply to GudangMovies21’s request for comment.

Trump has also raised the possibility that a newly proposed US sovereign wealth fund could acquire part or all of the app, although he didn’t offer details on how such an arrangement would work.

Is a deal expected by April 5?

Vice President JD Vance, whom Trump selected to manage the possible TikTok deal alongside National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, stated on March 14 that there would "most likely" be an arrangement ensuring continued accessibility of the app for U.S. users by the April 5 deadline.

"There will most likely be a high-level agreement that I believe addresses our national security concerns and permits the existence of a separate American TikTok entity," Vance stated. interview along with NBC News, though he admitted that officially finalizing such an agreement might require additional time.

The legislation mandates that Trump must confirm "a qualified divestiture" of TikTok has been completed and the application is no longer under ByteDance's control, labeling them as a "foreign adversary"-linked entity. The rules stipulate that ByteDance cannot hold more than 20% ownership of the platform. Additionally, it specifies that U.S. operations related to the app should not involve any collaboration with ByteDance regarding algorithms or data-sharing procedures.

Trump said earlier in March that he would “probably” extend the TikTok deadline further if a deal isn’t reached by April 5. But Vance told NBC that “we’d like to get it done without the extension.” Trump on Sunday reiterated He anticipated that an agreement would be achieved before the deadline.

Nevertheless, with the deadline looming, there hasn't been much public sign that ByteDance or the Chinese government are willing to consider a sale.

Recently, Trump has attempted to make the offer more appealing by suggesting he might lower tariffs on Chinese imports as part of the TikTok deal.

One notch in tariffs with China… might be more significant than all of TikTok, despite how valuable TikTok is," Trump stated to reporters on Monday. "Perhaps I'll reduce the tariffs slightly if I receive approval for certain matters. I haven't made this decision yet, but maybe I will.

Scott Sutton, the CEO of the influencer marketing company Later, expects the ban to be extended and foresees this development unfolding through one of two possible scenarios.

"either there'll be news of 'a particular agreement being negotiated,' or we'll get a standard comment from the present government stating they're collaborating with potential stakeholders, though they can’t share specifics," Sutton explained via email.

Will TikTok be shut down once more if there’s no agreement?

The future of whether TikTok gets shut down again in the United States may hinge on what Trump has to say regarding the negotiation process.

In the absence of an agreement, TikTok’s technical collaborators—such as Apple, Google, and Oracle—could theoretically face significant penalties if they keep backing the application. However, should Trump instruct the Justice Department not to impose these sanctions, these companies might feel secure enough to maintain their support for TikTok within the U.S.

TikTok has attempted to gain favor with Trump, possibly aiming to secure his backing. Following its return in January, the app showed a message to U.S. users attributing its reinstatement to "President Trump's efforts."

Trump has also suggested he could extend the deadline if a deal is not reached in time. It’s not clear that a second extension would fall within the letter of the sale-or-ban law, but because the law grants wide latitude to the president over enforcement, it could be hard to challenge in court.

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