By Manisha Sahu – America News World
In a dramatic turn of events, TikTok has avoided an outright ban in the United States following months of tense negotiations, high-stakes diplomacy, and legislative back-and-forth. The app, which has become a staple of digital culture and political communication, was saved after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a framework agreement earlier this week, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal brings relief to millions of American users and content creators who had feared losing access to the platform.
Congressional Mandates and Biden-Era Law
The saga of TikTok’s potential ban stretches back to 2024, during Joe Biden’s presidency, when the Republican-controlled Congress passed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. The law was rooted in concerns that the app’s ownership by a Chinese firm could give Beijing access to sensitive user data. Critics argued that this posed risks of surveillance and influence campaigns targeting American citizens.
Despite the passage of the law, TikTok insisted that its operations in the United States were secure. The company pointed out that American user data was housed on U.S.-based cloud servers operated by Oracle. Furthermore, it stressed that content moderation affecting U.S. users was handled domestically. However, lawmakers and national security officials remained unconvinced, pressing for divestiture as the only reliable safeguard.
Trump Declines Enforcement
When Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration inherited the mandate. Surprisingly, Trump repeatedly declined to enforce the law that would have shut TikTok down in the U.S. Officials extended the divestiture deadline on three occasions, citing the potential backlash from the app’s massive American user base and the disruption it could cause to political campaigning and communications.
Trump, who has personally embraced TikTok, credited the platform with playing a key role in his successful re-election bid. His own account boasts more than 15 million followers, making it one of the most influential political profiles on the app. The White House even launched its own official TikTok account last month, signaling the administration’s recognition of the platform’s significance in American public life.
Failed Spinoff and Rising Trade Tensions
Earlier this year, serious negotiations were underway to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company, majority-owned and run by American investors. Several potential suitors had expressed interest, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a startup founded by the OnlyFans creator, and Amazon. Analysts valued TikTok’s U.S. business at up to $50 billion, underscoring the stakes involved.
Yet, these plans hit a roadblock. The Chinese government
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