U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that a resolution will be reached regarding TikTok’s operations in the United States before the government-imposed deadline. The social media app, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been at the center of a national security debate, with the U.S. government citing concerns over data privacy and potential influence from the Chinese government.
The Trump administration has demanded that ByteDance either sell its U.S. operations to an American company or face a ban. Officials have warned that TikTok could be used by the Chinese Communist Party to gather personal information on American users, though ByteDance has repeatedly denied such allegations.
Negotiations between ByteDance and U.S. companies, including Oracle and Walmart, have been ongoing. Trump stated, “I think we’re going to have a deal that will be really great for the United States. We’re making sure that American users’ data is protected and that there is no foreign interference.”
As part of the potential agreement, the new entity handling TikTok’s U.S. operations would be headquartered in the United States, with data security measures overseen by American firms. The deal is expected to require approval from both the U.S. government and Chinese authorities, as Beijing has imposed restrictions on the export of certain technology, including algorithms used by TikTok.
If no agreement is reached by the deadline, the app could face removal from U.S. app stores, significantly affecting its 150 million American users. The outcome of the negotiations could set a precedent for future cases involving foreign tech firms operating in the U.S. and may further strain U.S.-China relations.