President Donald Trump has revealed that the United States is in talks with four groups interested in acquiring TikTok, as the Chinese-owned social media platform faces an uncertain future in the country. A US law mandates that TikTok must divest from its parent company, ByteDance, or risk being banned from operating in the United States.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed the ongoing negotiations but provided few details. “It could be,” he said when asked if a deal was imminent. “We’re dealing with four different groups. And a lot of people want it, and it’s up to me,” he added, stressing that all four potential buyers were “good,” though he did not name them.
The law banning TikTok was enacted on January 19 due to concerns that the Chinese government might use the app for surveillance or influence US public opinion. As the deadline approached, TikTok briefly shut down its services in the United States and disappeared from app stores, causing frustration among its millions of American users. However, after Trump began his second term in January, he suspended the ban for two and a half months in order to negotiate with Beijing, allowing TikTok to resume service and return to app stores in February.
Among the groups seeking to acquire TikTok is “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” led by real estate and sports tycoon Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty. Other contenders include tech giants Microsoft and Oracle, as well as a group led by internet personality MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson).
Despite the increasing pressure, TikTok has shown little interest in selling its US operations. Trump had previously attempted to ban the app during his first term, citing national security concerns. The ongoing negotiations indicate that TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain, with a final decision likely depending on political and legal developments in the coming weeks.