President Donald Trump says the U.S. has reached a deal with China to keep TikTok running in America, ending months of uncertainty over the app’s future.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for an official trip to the U.K., Trump said, “We have a deal on TikTok. I’ve made an agreement with China. I’ll speak with President Xi on Friday to confirm everything.”
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, had been told it must sell its U.S. operations or face a ban. Trump first announced the ban in January but has repeatedly delayed its enforcement.
The president added that a buyer for TikTok’s U.S. arm would be announced soon. CNBC reported the deal involves a mix of existing and new investors and is expected to close within 30 to 45 days.
Oracle will continue hosting TikTok’s U.S. services under its current agreement, addressing one of the main concerns from lawmakers worried about Chinese access to American user data on national security grounds.
On Monday, a U.S. trade delegation said it had reached a “framework” deal with China during broader trade talks in Madrid. China confirmed the framework but stressed no agreement would harm the interests of Chinese companies.
Wang Jingtao, a deputy head of China’s Cyberspace Administration, told a press conference that the deal includes licensing TikTok’s algorithms and other intellectual property rights. He added that Beijing would review and approve TikTok-related issues under Chinese law, including technology exports and IP licensing.
Trump, who initially pushed for a full TikTok ban during his first term, has shifted his position on the popular video-sharing app.
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an April 2024 law banning TikTok unless ByteDance sold its American arm. The Justice Department argued TikTok poses a national security threat because of potential access to U.S. user data.
ByteDance has resisted the forced sale, insisting its U.S. operations are separate and that it does not share data with the Chinese state.
TikTok briefly went offline in January but was restored within a day after the initial ban was delayed. The sale deadline has since been extended three times, with the latest postponement set to expire on September 17.
