As another TikTok deadline nears, investors remain on hold. Repeated US extensions expose political uncertainty behind the fate of the app’s American operations.
 |
| Frank McCourt says buyers are ready, but politics—not markets—are determining whether TikTok is sold, banned, or endlessly delayed in the US. Image: CH |
Washington, United States — December 14, 2025:
As the latest deadline for TikTok’s forced sale in the United States approaches, the app’s future remains suspended between political will and market readiness. Billionaire investor Frank McCourt’s remarks to the BBC—that potential buyers are simply “standing by and waiting”—capture a process increasingly defined by hesitation rather than decision.
Under a 2024 law passed on national security grounds, TikTok was meant to be sold or banned in January unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divested its US operations. Lawmakers argued that Beijing could compel the company to hand over American user data, a claim TikTok has consistently denied. Yet repeated extensions by the US government have blunted the impact of that legislation, turning a firm deadline into a moving target.
President Donald Trump is now expected to delay enforcement for a fifth time. The pattern highlights a growing gap between the tough rhetoric surrounding TikTok and the administration’s reluctance to trigger either a sale or a shutdown. Earlier claims that a deal had been finalized—with the backing of Chinese President Xi Jinping and prominent US investors—have not materialized into any formal agreement. A high-profile meeting between Trump and Xi ended without approval, underscoring how geopolitical tensions continue to obstruct commercial outcomes.
For investors, the uncertainty is costly but unavoidable. McCourt, whose consortium includes Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, says capital is in place and plans are ready. His proposal to operate TikTok without Chinese technology—replacing its recommendation algorithm through Project Liberty—directly addresses Washington’s security concerns. Still, no buyer can proceed without political clearance from both Washington and Beijing.
The prolonged standoff also reflects a broader struggle over the power of global digital platforms. TikTok’s vast reach and cultural influence have made it a symbol of anxieties about data control, foreign ownership, and the concentration of influence in a handful of tech companies. McCourt’s warning about platform power echoes bipartisan concerns in the US, even as consensus on enforcement remains elusive.
Most analysts now expect yet another extension, reinforcing the sense that TikTok is trapped in a regulatory gray zone. This risks weakening the credibility of US tech oversight and complicating future efforts to confront foreign-owned platforms on security grounds.
In the end, TikTok’s unresolved status says less about the availability of buyers and more about the difficulty of aligning law, diplomacy, and politics. Until Washington chooses decisiveness over delay, TikTok’s US operations are likely to remain exactly where they are now—on hold.