Donald Trump revealed that the United States has found a buyer for TikTok, setting the stage for the app to remain online for its 170 million American users. The president said “we have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,” though he did not name names. The announcement is the strongest sign so far that months of tense talks with China may finally be nearing a deal.
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TikTok has been hanging under a legal cloud since 2024, when Washington passed a law forcing its Chinese parent ByteDance to either sell or face a nationwide ban. Deadlines were extended several times, but now Trump says a buyer is in place and the deal could close within the next 30 to 45 days.
Oracle Emerges as a Likely Player
Reports suggest Oracle (ORCL) is part of the group preparing to take over TikTok’s U.S. operations. The arrangement would transfer American assets and user data into U.S. hands while ByteDance may still keep some rights linked to the algorithm. The financial terms have not been made public, and the structure of ownership is still being hammered out.
The deal is expected to move quickly. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signaled that final contracts could be ready in the coming weeks. This sets up TikTok to continue operating in the United States without interruption.
Congress Tests the Agreement
Lawmakers in Washington will now have their say. The law that forced TikTok’s divestment requires strict U.S. control over data and governance. Both Republicans and Democrats have long warned about national security risks if TikTok remains tied to China. Congress will want guarantees that ByteDance cannot influence the app’s algorithm or siphon user data abroad.
At the same time, Beijing is insisting that its intellectual property not be fully transferred. Chinese regulators may license the algorithm instead of giving it away outright, which leaves the door open to continued Chinese leverage. That detail could become a flashpoint when Congress reviews the final deal.
Overall, Trump’s announcement brings TikTok closer to staying alive in America, but the celebration is premature. The questions of who will own it, how the algorithm is handled, and how much ByteDance is cut out are still unanswered. So at the moment, TikTok’s 170 million users can breathe easier, but Washington and Beijing are still negotiating the fine print.
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