After 3 lifelines, Trump threatens to shutdown TikTok in US
What's the story
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has warned that TikTok could be banned in the country if China doesn't approve a deal for the sale of the app. Speaking on CNBC, Lutnick said that America needs to control the algorithm behind the popular short video platform. The warning comes as President Donald Trump extended a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok's China-based parent company, to divest its US assets by September 17.
Uncertain fate
'TikTok is going to go dark'
Lutnick emphasized that while China or ByteDance could retain a minor stake, the primary control should lie with Americans. "Americans will own the technology, and Americans will control the algorithm," he said. He also clarified that if China approves this deal, it would go through else "TikTok is going to go dark." On January 20, Trump paused TikTok ban for 75 days. He extended it by another 75 days on April 4, then added 90 more days on June 19.
Stalled negotiations
Deal to spin off TikTok stalled
Earlier this year, a deal was proposed to spin off TikTok's US operations into a new firm. However, it stalled after China refused to approve it following Trump's announcement of heavy tariffs on Chinese goods. Some Democratic lawmakers have also questioned Trump's authority to extend the deadline and whether the proposed deal would meet legal requirements for approval.