With a deadline of April 5, 2025, fast approaching for its Chinese parent company to sell the popular short-form video platform or face a ban, TikTok’s future in the United States hangs in the balance as the years of uncertainty wear on. This demand also came as part of a bipartisan law passed by the US Congress last year over concerns of national security, claiming that the Chinese government could have access to the user data. Though Beijing has denied all such accusations, the bill requires that TikTok’s US operations are divested to a non-Chinese company or the app will be banned nationwide
Impending Deadline And Possible Outcomes
The law, officially called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was originally scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 19, 2025, when President Donald Trump intervened and postponed enforcement 75 days to April 5. If a deal to sell TikTok is not completed by that date, the app could again be removed from app stores in the US, which would block new downloads. Current users may still have access for now, but, over time, the absence of updates could render them non-functional.
President Trump has sounded hopeful that a sale could happen despite the fast-approaching deadline. He said ‘several investors’ have expressed interest and even floated a possible deal in which Chinese authorities approve the sale in return for lifting US tariffs on Chinese goods. But any such deal would still need the approval of China’s government. Trump also signalled that he would be open to an extension of the deadline if needed.
Potential Buyers Emerge
Multiple parties have reportedly been interested in purchasing TikTok’s American operations. Amazon was reported to have made some kind of last-minute bid to the White House, the seriousness of which seems to be a matter of some debate. Amazon has a track record of buying platforms that could enhance its social media capabilities and draw in a younger audience. It previously bought the live-streaming site Twitch and the book review platform Goodreads. They also tried out a TikTok-like feature known as Inspire that they have since killed.
Others with interest include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a longtime ally of President Trump, who had looked like a possible buyer. Although Elon Musk said his TikTok acquisition plans were “zero,” other well-known names have shown interest in the app. A bid has also been submitted by billionaire Frank McCourt in partnership with Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. MrBeast — the popular YouTube name of the YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson — is also interested in acquiring TikTok via an investor group. The British entrepreneur behind OnlyFans, Tim Stokely, has also made a bid via his newly rebranded company, Zoop.
Moreover, tech giant Microsoft, private equity firm Blackstone, venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz, and search engine Perplexity AI have had their eyes on acquiring a share of the platform, as per reports. One possible option being considered has ByteDance keeping ownership of TikTok’s algorithm but leasing it to a new US-based company that would run the app domestically.
Impact of a Potential Ban
TikTok boasts a huge user base in the US, with close to 170 million accounts active on the platform who, reportedly, used the app an average of 51 minutes daily in 2024. A ban can have significant impact on these users’ creators who have made their living off the platform and businesses that use TikTok to market and reach consumers.
If TikTok were to be banned, or if its future was already uncertain, users and advertisers might migrate to competing short-form video formats on platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, many experts say. Amazon’s Twitch, which is also for live-streaming, could be a beneficiary, too. The US and the UK have also been growing with other Chinese-origin platforms such as Xiaodong’s (Red Note) If TikTok were to cease being an option for advertisers, companies may shift their ad spend to familiar platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram) or Google (YouTube), according to marketing analysts.
The UK Approach and Its Global Ramifications
As the full situation in the US continues to play out, the UK government says it has no plans to ban TikTok for consumers right now — though there’s already a ban in place on the app on official government devices, again for data security reasons. A UK government minister said that videos of “cats and people dancing” did not currently represent a national security threat. But the UK and other nations are eyeing developments in the US closely.
The US response against TikTok could have wider global implications. Some analysts believe that if the US ban were upheld, a slew of other countries would take similar action, citing their own national security concerns. Allies have previously followed American moves to restrict or ban technology from Chinese and Russian companies. The US outcome may have implications for the regulatory environment in which social media firms will operate in much of the world and raise questions over matters such as data privacy, national security and cross-border operation of digital services.
Alternatives for Users
If the US government bans TikTok, there are already similar apps available that offer similar features and content formats. Instagram Reels is a short-form video creation and discovery feature integrated within the popular Instagram app. YouTube Shorts, available in the YouTube app, provides a comprehensive library of the short videos and builds on YouTube’s existing audience and content. Facebook Reels is yet another opportunity in the Meta universe.
Standalone apps offering short-form video content creation and sharing capabilities include Lemon8 (also owned by ByteDance), Red Note (Xiaohongshu), Triller, Likee, Funimate, and Snapchat Spotlight. This list is by no means exhaust: each of these platforms serve different niches and styles, allowing users to explore beyond the TikTok experience. The news could accelerate user adoption and growth of these competing platforms, especially if TikTok’s US operation is disrupted.
