TikTok’s journey from global sensation to Trump target

Mar 14, 2024: US House of Representatives passes a bill that would give ByteDance about six months to divest TikTok’s US assets, or face a ban.

Apr 24, 2024: President Joe Biden signs a law giving ByteDance until Jan 19, 2025, to sell TikTok; failure would lead to its ban from US app stores and from “internet hosting services” that support it.

May 7, 2024: TikTok and ByteDance sue in a US federal court seeking to block Biden’s law that would force TikTok’s divestiture.

Aug 2, 2024: The ​US Justice Department files a lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance for ‌failing to protect children’s privacy on the social media app.

Dec 6, 2024: A US federal appeals court upholds the law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok in the US by January 2025 or face a ban.

Jan 18, 2025: TikTok stops working for users in the United States, disappears from Apple and Google app stores before ​the law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect the next day.

Jan 19, 2025: TikTok says it is restoring service after then President-elect Donald Trump said he would revive the app’s access ⁠in the US when he returns to power. Deadline extended to early April.

Apr 4, ‌2025: President Trump extends the deadline for the sale of ByteDance’s US assets of TikTok.

May 4, 2025: Trump says he will extend the Jun 19 deadline for TikTok’s sale.

Jun 19, 2025: Trump ​extends the Jun 19 sale deadline by 90 days to Sep 17, for the third time.

Jun 29, 2025: Trump says he has found a buyer for TikTok, which he describes as a group of “very wealthy people”, in a Fox News interview.

Aug 19, 2025: The White House launches its official TikTok account.

Sep 15, 2025: ‍US and Chinese officials reach a framework agreement to switch TikTok to US-controlled ownership.

Sep 16, 2025: Trump says the US and China have a deal that will keep TikTok operating and that the ⁠US will announce a buyer. The US extends the deadline to sell Chinese ownership of TikTok to Dec 16.

Dec 18, 2025: ByteDance told its employees that ByteDance and TikTok signed binding agreements with three managing investors: Oracle, Silver Lake and ​MGX, to form a new TikTok-US joint venture ‌named TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The deal is set to close on Jan 22.