Authored by Sam Raus via RealClearPolitics,
Freedom is in the air. America just celebrated the Fourth of July – our Independence Day – as the nation approaches its 250th birthday next year. The Trump administration has notched a major legislative victory, passing its long-promised reconciliation bill, which makes permanent the signature tax cuts of the president’s first term. With that chapter closed, the Trump administration now turns to other matters – still chasing the promise of “winning.”
Next up: TikTok.
The fate of the wildly popular social media platform once seemingly destined for a ban is taking a new turn. In January, it looked all but gone as the app disappeared for American users for a brief 12 hours before being spared by a legally murky maneuver from the president.
Now, the “Art of the Deal” commander in chief may be getting what he wanted all along: a deal. Mere hours after Trump refocused his gaze on the platform’s pending ban, TikTok announced plans to launch a new, U.S.-based app this fall. Some see this merely as laying the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by Trump.
With a launch date set for September 5, the new American version of TikTok is expected to arrive just over a week before the looming ban deadline. ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, has indicated that the current version of the app would be phased out by March 2026 – a timeline that appears to stretch beyond what the enacted law currently permits. To continue using the platform, American users would need to download the new, separate app.
The new platform will use a copy of the original platform’s algorithm. Moving forward, however, the algorithm will be trained only by new data from U.S. users. It will also operate on a separate data system, building off its transition since January to American data centers run by Oracle.
China hawks who pushed the original ban will likely continue to express concern with whether a new app is truly insulated from the CCP’s political interests or data harvesting. Keeping Americans’ online data – including sensitive personal and financial information – safe from foreign adversaries like the CCP will remain their chief priority.
The president appears ready to negotiate as he engages in broader trade negotiations with Chinese President Xi. Backroom talks are already ongoing. With the corporate governance structure of Chinese-base firms like ByteDance inextricably linked to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, high stakes international diplomacy is critical to the future of TikTok.
ByteDance remains mum, suggesting it has no plans for a sale – even though under current law a U.S.-based app will likely require at least majority ownership by American business. China’s Foreign Ministry expressed little openness to a deal with the Trump administration, stating that the CCP “has reiterated its principle and position on issues related to TikTok on multiple occasions.” The silence doesn’t mean talks aren’t happening behind the scenes.
Yet, various sources expect the new app to be a joint venture owned predominantly by American investors like current shareholders Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, KKR, as well as Blackstone, Andreessen Horowitz, and even Oracle. This may be a moment tailor-made for Trump – a stage where the dealmaker-in-chief can step in, hash it out, and make TikTok great again. It would be another striking victory for Trump, but he wouldn’t be the only winner.
TikTok has become a surprising driver of the U.S. economy. Beyond viral videos, it supports small businesses, artists, marketers, and developers. For many young Americans, it’s a place to launch products, grow audiences, and earn income. Entire industries – from digital advertising to e-commerce and music – now revolve around the app.
The question of TikTok’s future has stalled for months, caught in a tangle of legal battles, congressional deadlines, and corporate negotiations. Now, the decision once again rests with the president. He’s the one who will shape what comes next – whether that’s a sale, a new app, or some other compromise. The stakes are high, and the outcome will have a real impact not just on Americans’ digital lives but on people’s livelihoods.
After so much delay, the process is finally moving forward. Maybe, just maybe, morning is on the horizon.
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