The future of TikTok remains uncertain, but with the app still active—and now back on the App Store—following its January 19 ban deadline, it seems to be doing better than expected.
The company had been under pressure to secure a buyer before the January 19 deadline to comply with a law signed by Joe Biden in April 2024. However, this deadline was postponed after an executive order from President Donald Trump on January 20. The order granted a 75-day extension, giving Trump time to consult with his advisors and heads of relevant departments to address national security concerns surrounding TikTok. Despite this, the question of who will buy the app to prevent the looming ban remains unanswered.
Could tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been closely aligned with Trump, be the one to take over the app? Find out more below.
Why Is There a TikTok Ban in the U.S.?
Parent company ByteDance’s popular app TikTok is still at risk of being banned in the U.S. if it isn’t purchased by its new April deadline. The app faces a ban due to security concerns, including claims of “excessive data harvesting” that could allow the Chinese government to allegedly spy on American users, as reported by BBC.
Did Elon Musk Buy TikTok?
As the Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok’s potential ban approached, Musk emerged as a possible candidate to purchase the popular app.
Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Musk share “a strong relationship.” He further suggested in his analyst note that Musk was one of many potential options ByteDance was exploring at the time, as reported by USA Today.
Ives further explained why Musk could be a top contender, adding, “Given the strong and growing alliance between Trump and Musk, this is not a total shock route, as behind the scenes, the Trump White House is looking at alternatives, if the Supreme Court upholds the ban.”
Musk has made a significant political impact, donating $250 million to Trump’s re-election campaign, according to MSNBC. He was also appointed to lead the newly established nongovernmental agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which focuses on reducing government spending. Despite these connections with both Trump and the Chinese President, a TikTok spokesperson denied the reports, telling NewsWeek, “We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
Will You Lose Your TikTok Account?
If TikTok does get banned again, users who already have the app on their phones will still be able to scroll and upload content. However, if the app isn’t already downloaded, it will no longer be available on Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store, according to E! News. Users who remain on the app won’t be able to install updates, which could eventually render the app unusable. Joseph Lorenzo Hall, an Internet Society technologist, explained to Wired: “The app will start to decay and rot, as either services stop working — things like content distribution networks or services — who feel like they can’t take the risks of the ambiguous nature of the language or the potential enforcement by the incoming administration.”
However, with the app now reinstated in both Apple and Google stores, concerns about the app’s stability are temporarily put on hold.
