TikTok Deadline Looms

Social video app TikTok faces a deadline to sell its US business by tomorrow or face a ban in the country. Last-minute bids were reported this week from Amazon, mobile tech company AppLovin, and AI search engine Perplexity. Several investors also reportedly offered bids, including major investors Marc Andreessen and Oracle’s Larry Ellison. YouTuber MrBeast is also reportedly in the mix.

US lawmakers passed a law last April—upheld by the Supreme Court in January—forcing TikTok to divest from its US business or be barred from US app stores over national security concerns. TikTok shut down the app Jan. 18—a day before the ban was set to take effect—but it was restored after President-elect Donald Trump signaled he would delay enforcement. In a day-one executive order, Trump gave TikTok 75 days to reach a deal, a move legal analysts questioned.

Trump has said he would extend the delay if a sale isn’t reached. It is unclear if TikTok is willing to sell at this stage.