TikTok is running out of time as the 5 April United States ban deadline looms nearer.
The app’s parent company, ByteDance is being ordered to sell TikTok by 5 April, after President Donald Trump extended the January deadline or face a ban in the U.S..
TikTok previously faced a temporary 14-hour ban on 18 January, affecting the 170 million Americans who used the platform for news, entertainment and even their livelihoods.
Despite the ban date rapidly approaching, Trump remains confident. Many interested parties have raised their hands, and he has expressed a desire to facilitate the deal.
“We have a lot of potential buyers, there’s tremendous interest in TikTok. The decision is going to be my decision,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday.
“I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”
A meeting will be held with possible investors to hold a stake in TikTok involving key administration officials on the deal like Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Some potential buyers for the app include billionaire former Los Angeles owner Frank McCourt, Shark Tank investor Kavin O’Leary, a group including influencer Mr Beat, Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley and AI firm Perplexity.
While it was Trump who initially fought for TikTok to be banned during his first term as president, it was Joe Biden who made the final law last year for ByteDance to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.
