TikTok is working on a separate version of its app for US users as it races to comply with a federal law that could ban the platform across the country unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its American operations.
According to The Information, TikTok plans to launch a dedicated US version of the app in American app stores by September 5, giving itself a path to remain operational while facing intense political and legal pressure.
If a sale of its US assets goes through, the original version of the app would be phased out completely by March 2026. This move is part of a broader strategy to retain TikTok’s massive US user base while satisfying growing political and legal pressure.
Legal Deadline Approaches Amid Political Pressure
The push for a divestiture comes as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement of a law that mandates ByteDance transfer ownership of TikTok’s US business to an American-approved entity. The law, originally signed by former President Joe Biden, was recently upheld by the Supreme Court and has received bipartisan support.
The core issue driving the legislation is the concern that the Chinese government could potentially gain access to sensitive data from American users. Both ByteDance and TikTok have denied sharing any data with Chinese authorities.
Trump Grants Deadline Extensions, For Now
President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has issued three extensions to the law’s enforcement timeline. The most recent extension, announced in June, gives TikTok until September 17 to finalize a sale or face removal from US app stores.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump hinted that a group of “very wealthy people” is working on acquiring the platform and said he would reveal their identities in the coming weeks. US operations briefly went offline around the original enforcement date of January 19, just a day before Trump was sworn in.
Upon taking office, Trump temporarily paused the law—a move that some legal experts argue may have overstepped presidential authority—allowing the app to resume service. Since then, the White House has delayed enforcement twice more as behind-the-scenes negotiations continue.
After the latest extension was announced, TikTok issued a statement thanking the Trump administration. “We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform as we continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office.”
A New App Doesn’t Solve the Bigger Problem
While the creation of a US specific version of TikTok might buy time, it doesn’t resolve the bigger issue i.e. who controls the data. Lawmakers backing the forced sale insist that even the possibility of Chinese government access is unacceptable.
And that’s where the real challenge lies. For the sale to successfully go through, both US regulators and Chinese authorities would need to sign off, which is a scenario that remains far from guaranteed.
Final Word
With the September 17 deadline fast approaching, TikTok’s future in the United States hangs in the balance. Whether a sale can be finalized in time while meeting national security requirements remains to be seen. For now, TikTok remains online, but the pressure is mounting, and time is running out.
Anas Hasan
July 7, 2025
4 months ago
