US in talks with four groups over TikTok sale, says Donald Trump

The Chinese-owned social media platform has been under scrutiny in the US over data security concerns, prompting efforts to transfer its ownership to an American company.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he would “probably” extend the April 5 deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the social media platform or face a ban in the United States.

His comments come as the deadline approaches, following a 75-day extension granted through an executive order in January. The extension had temporarily kept TikTok operational after the app briefly went offline on January 19 when a congressionally mandated deadline was missed.

Trump signals possible delay in TikTok sale deadline

The deadline was set by Trump’s executive order in January, granting ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based owner, 75 days to secure an American buyer or risk being banned in the US.

This directive came after a bipartisan law was passed last year, citing national security risks as the reason for the forced sale.

Trump’s openness to extending the deadline signals a departure from his previous administration’s efforts to ban TikTok entirely. Recently, he proposed that the US should acquire a 50 percent stake in the platform through a “joint venture,” potentially involving a sovereign wealth fund.

The possible deadline extension comes amid rising trade tensions with China. Trump recently introduced an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports, leading Beijing to retaliate with new export restrictions on 15 US companies.

Despite ongoing concerns over its ties to the Chinese government, ByteDance has been hesitant to sell TikTok. The app was briefly taken offline on January 19—the original congressionally mandated deadline—before Trump’s executive order granted it more time.

Last month, Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Michael Walz were assigned to oversee the potential sale negotiations.

With Reuters inputs