TikTok users may be experiencing some déjà vu this week. The popular short-form video app’s future is once again uncertain as a potential ban in the United States could be just days away.
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is on the hook to sell the app’s US operations by April 5, after President Donald Trump extended the deadline in January, or face a ban in the United States. What happens on — or ahead of — Saturday will have significant implications for the 170 million Americans who use TikTok to find news, entertainment, community, and, in some cases, to make a living.
Many questions remain about the state of a potential deal, but loyal TikTok users have reason to be optimistic. Several interested parties have raised their hands to potentially buy the app, and Trump has expressed a desire to help facilitate a deal and preserve access to the platform.
Apple and Google restore TikTok to their US app stores “We have a lot of potential buyers, there’s tremendous interest in TikTok. The decision is going to be my decision,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday. “I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.” (CNN)