The US is pushing for TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese buyer, a move linked to national security concerns. In particular, the US government is worried about the Chinese government obtaining access to large amounts of personal US consumer data through the app, while also potentially using it to strengthen its political influence abroad.
Currently, the US is TikTok’s biggest market, with around 170 million users.
“With respect to TikTok…China is going to have to play a role in that, possibly in the form of an approval, maybe, and I think they’ll do that. Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” Trump said on Wednesday.
Trump added that he would be open to extending the deadline to find a buyer, currently set at 5 April. This deadline was already extended in January.
The Biden administration had previously passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, also known as the ‘TikTok sell or ban’ law, back in April 2024. Before Trump’s extension, the law meant that ByteDance had until 19 January 2025 to either sell its share in TikTok, or risk the app being banned in the US.
Trump recently announced a 25% tariff on imported car parts and cars, which has significantly heated up global trade tensions. While the levy on auto imports will be implemented from next week onwards, tariffs on auto parts will start by 3 May this year.
Trump has so far imposed a 20% tariff on all imports into the US from China, which is an increase from the previous 10% announced in February. He has also hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs on most imports, while threatening the EU with steep levies as well. A 25% tariff on US steel and aluminium imports came into effect earlier this month.
TikTok faces calls for bans across the world
TikTok is dealing with increasing calls for bans in several other countries besides the US. India already banned the app back in June 2020, along with 58 other Chinese-owned apps, despite being the biggest TikTok market at the time. Japan, Australia and Pakistan have also suggested that they would like to either ban or restrict the app as well.
In April 2023, Australia banned TikTok from all federal devices owned by the government, citing security concerns. Estonia, the UK, the EU and France have done the same as well.
Albania also implemented a year-long ban on TikTok at the end of last year, mainly because of the app’s alleged role in incidents of violence in the country, especially among young people.
In the US, TikTok has been accused of promoting pro-Palestine content by US Republican leaders, along with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel content. However, the app has denied these claims. Concerns about TikTok’s impact on youth mental health are also felt in many countries.
