TikTok has been handed another lifeline.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order pushing the deadline for the Chinese-owned social media app to sell its U.S. operations to December 16.
It’s the fourth time Trump has granted an extension since taking office. The original deadline, set by Congress, was January 19, one day before Trump’s second inauguration.
Trump said the new timeline allows Washington and Beijing to finish talks on a deal. He added that he will discuss TikTok directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
“I hate to see value like that thrown out the window,” Trump said before leaving for a state visit to the United Kingdom with First Lady Melania Trump.
Talks shape fragile framework
The latest framework emerged from high-level meetings in Madrid between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Both sides called the outcome a step toward resolving the app’s future.
Bessent told reporters the plan is to shift TikTok’s U.S. assets under American ownership, though he declined to give details.
Li Chenggang, China’s international trade representative, said negotiators reached a “basic framework consensus” to ease investment barriers and advance economic cooperation.
For Trump, the issue goes beyond trade. He has warmed to TikTok after believing it helped him connect with younger voters in the 2024 election. Still, security concerns remain central. U.S. law requires ByteDance, TikTok’s parent, to divest its U.S. business over fears the app could expose American user data.
Fading hype, real risks
The drawn-out negotiations may mean less than they once did. Syracuse University professor Dimitar Gueorguiev warned that TikTok’s edge has dulled.
“The U.S.–China deal on TikTok may look like a breakthrough, but it risks being a Pyrrhic victory,” Gueorguiev said. Its famed algorithm, once seen as groundbreaking, has “lost much of its mystique.”
He added: “Any U.S. buyer is purchasing market share and user base, not transformative technology.”
Several big names remain in the hunt for TikTok’s U.S. operations. Amazon, Oracle, AppLovin, and billionaire Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty consortium have all expressed interest. Startups like AI firm Perplexity have also floated merger proposals.
The stakes are high. In January, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld legislation requiring ByteDance to divest or face a nationwide ban. The justices cited national security concerns tied to the app’s data practices.
Trump has hinted he could reduce tariffs on China to help close a deal. He has also left the door open for yet another extension if talks stall.
For now, TikTok lives to fight another day. But with its novelty fading and political scrutiny mounting, its long-term future in America is far from secure.