President Donald Trump’s administration has decided to once again extend the deadline requiring Chinese company ByteDance, owner of TikTok, to sell its operations in the United States or face a total ban of the app in the country, amid growing political and national security pressures. According to sources close to the process, this would be at least the fourth extension granted since the original executive order was issued demanding TikTok’s divestment to prevent its shutdown.

The current deadline, which expires on September 17, 2025, will be extended to allow negotiations to continue between ByteDance, U.S. Treasury Department officials, and potential American buyers. Authorities such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have stated that a framework agreement is being developed that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States under majority American ownership, thereby complying with legislation that prohibits Chinese companies from managing applications considered risky to national security.

The White House argues that TikTok poses a potential threat due to the access the Chinese government could have to the personal data of millions of American users, while both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have supported pressure on the company. On the other hand, user associations, content creators, and even free speech advocacy groups have warned that banning the platform would negatively impact millions of small businesses and the digital economy, as well as affect freedom of communication on social networks. With this new extension,

Trump seeks to avoid an abrupt shutdown that could generate trade tensions with China while maintaining pressure on ByteDance to complete the sale before a final deadline, in what has become one of the most significant technological disputes between Washington and Beijing in recent years.