The future of TikTok in the United States remains unclear as the latest deadline for its sale approaches. Billionaire investor Frank McCourt, interested in acquiring TikTok’s US operations, told the BBC that he and his team are in limbo while awaiting developments.
Originally, US law passed in 2024 required TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face a ban for American users. President Donald Trump initially set a December 16, 2025, deadline, but later extended it to January 23, 2026.
The law, signed by former President Joe Biden and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2025, cites concerns over ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government and potential access to US user data. ByteDance has consistently denied the claims.
Trump has previously claimed a TikTok deal was approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, involving US investors such as Oracle chairman Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies’ Michael Dell. A planned October meeting between Trump and Xi, however, concluded without agreement.
McCourt, who is part of a consortium including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, expressed concern over the concentration of power on influential platforms like TikTok. He aims to operate the app independently of ByteDance’s Chinese technology, including its recommendation algorithm, using his own Project Liberty platform instead.
As the January deadline nears, TikTok’s fate in the US continues to hang in the balance, leaving investors and users alike uncertain about the platform’s future.
