Apple and Google received formal assurances from the US government to continue hosting TikTok in their app stores until at least June 18, 2025, as negotiations over the app’s ownership and data security concerns reach a critical phase. The decision follows a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi to both companies on April 4, urging compliance with President Donald Trump’s extended executive order delaying a ban on the Chinese-owned app.
Extended Deadline and Ownership Negotiations
President Trump announced in April that ByteDance needed to sell all US TikTok operations within this timeline unless the platform faced a complete banishment. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, gained an additional 75 days to conduct orbital negotiations about a U.S.-led ownership structure. The investors called “TikTok America” operate under a new business model backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Blackstone together with Oracle. A new organization would split its ownership structure into ByteDance maintaining 20% while outside investors claim half and current American investors gain possession of 30%.
The agreement fell apart in March because Trump deployed his 54% Chinese import tax, which intensified the political conflict with Beijing. The negotiations between China and the United States faced a halt when China raised objections, causing Trump to establish a precondition of lowering tariffs for the advancement of the TikTok sale.
Data Security and Political Stakes
Data practices of TikTok products remain the main issue that worries the United States government. Lawmakers from the Republican as well as Democratic administrations maintain that storing user information on Chinese servers creates safety concerns for national security. The 2024 legislation passed by Joe Biden requires ByteDance to sell the entire US TikTok operations due to national security fears.
The popularity of TikTok continues to skyrocket because it has now reached 170 million users in the United States. Users displayed widespread frustration during the time TikTok was absent from app stores in January 2025 because they bought used devices loaded with the app for prices reaching $50,000 in some cases.
Market Impact and User Reactions
The additional time extends an opportunity to assist both content creators and small businesses that use TikTok as their main platform. The market utilization of TikTok by 70 million American businesses would affect approximately 500 billion dollars each year in associated economic activities. However, uncertainty persists. Since TikTok returned, users detected alterations to its recommendation system, and this led many to suspect secrets were shared with its new owners.
Experts in the technology field observe how Google and Apple demonstrate legal concern through their restrained actions. The 2024 law establishes maximum fines of up to 5,000 per user, which could extend to 850 billion, covering both companies, yet Bondi provides temporary immunity from fines.
Global Implications and Path Forward
The ongoing TikTok story has revealed the deep technological conflicts that exist between the United States and China. Round one of the trade dispute due to Trump’s tariff initiative creates problems for negotiations despite the Chinese push for compliance with their export regulations. The American venture capital firms Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic apply pressure for a solution because they risk losing their profitable access to TikTok’s user base.
TikTok users can continue accessing the platform, but new users depend on a finished agreement to download the app. All interested parties monitor the progress toward June 18 to determine if the proposed “TikTok America” solution can meet regulatory needs without generating additional international political conflicts.
