TikTok Faces Imminent US Ban as January 19 Deadline Looms
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2025 – TikTok, the wildly popular short-form video app, is teetering on the edge of a nationwide ban in the United States, with its China-based parent company, Byte Dance, facing a January 19 deadline to sell the platform or see it shut down. The Biden administration, in its final days, has signaled it will not enforce the ban, leaving the app’s fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024 as part of a $95 billion foreign aid package, mandates that ByteDance divest TikTok within 270 days, with a possible 90-day extension if significant progress toward a sale is shown. With the deadline fast approaching, TikTok briefly suspended its U.S. services on January 18, only to restore them the next day after Trump vowed to grant an extension upon taking office.
On January 20, Trump signed an executive order halting the ban’s enforcement for 75 days, pushing the deadline to April 5. A second 75-day extension was signed on April 4, setting the current cutoff at June 19. Trump, who once pushed for a TikTok ban in 2020 but later credited the app for helping him win young voters in 2024, has expressed a desire to “save TikTok,” citing its 170 million U.S. users and cultural significance.
However, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law on January 10, rejecting TikTok’s First Amendment challenge and emphasizing national security concerns over potential Chinese access to U.S. user data and algorithmic manipulation. ByteDance has resisted divestment, and Chinese officials have signaled opposition to any sale, particularly of TikTok’s algorithm, which is subject to Beijing’s export controls.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who attended Trump’s inauguration, has vowed to keep fighting, but the company faces a steep challenge. If no sale is finalized by June 19, TikTok could be removed from U.S. app stores and lose support from web-hosting services like Oracle, effectively rendering it unusable. Posts on X reflect growing tension, with some users anticipating chaos if the ban takes effect, while others criticize the extensions as delaying an inevitable crackdown on a perceived security threat.
The Biden administration’s decision to defer enforcement has drawn mixed reactions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats, including Senators Edward Markey and Cory Booker, urged a delay to protect the livelihoods of millions of creators and small businesses reliant on the platform. Meanwhile, critics like Senator Tom Cotton argue that companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle face billions in fines if they continue supporting TikTok post-deadline, regardless of executive action.
As Trump negotiates with potential buyers and engages with Chinese officials, the clock is ticking. A joint venture or full sale remains uncertain, and without a deal, TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users could lose access to the platform that has reshaped social media. For now, TikTok remains operational, but its future hangs in the balance as political, legal, and geopolitical forces collide.
