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TikTok latest updates: Trump says he's 'spoken to many people' about buying the app, will likely decide this month

Follow along with Yahoo News' coverage of the looming TikTok ban.

ILLUSTRATION - 21 January 2025, Berlin: The Chinese social media app Tiktok is installed on a smartphone. Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa (Photo by Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Jens Kalaene/Getty Images

President Trump told reporters last month that he had "spoken to many people about TikTok and there is great interest" in the app.

Trump did not offer any specific names, but said that "numerous people are talking to me, very substantial people, about buying it, and I will make that decision probably over the next 30 days."

While signing executive orders on Feb. 3, Trump ordered the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments to create a sovereign wealth fund that he suggested could buy TikTok.

TikTok has dominated headlines since April, when then-President Joe Biden signed a law passed by Congress requiring the popular app, which is owned by a Chinese company, to be sold or be banned in the United States.

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In one of the first official acts of his second term in the White House, Trump signed an executive order delaying for 75 days the enforcement of the planned ban on TikTok — which had been set to take effect on Jan. 19 — and proposed that the U.S. should “own 50%” of the platform in what he called a “joint venture.”

The Biden administration and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have argued that TikTok’s Chinese ownership presents a potential threat to national security, and the Supreme Court agreed, moving to uphold the ban on Jan. 17.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has said it has no plans to sell TikTok, citing in part the Chinese government’s opposition to a sale. However, on Jan. 20, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that the decision “should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles.”

Follow along below for all the latest updates.

Live14 updates
  • Lawmakers fight to ban China's DeepSeek on government devices, mirroring what happened with TikTok in 2022

    FILE - The Icon for the smartphone apps DeepSeek is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
    Andy Wong/AP

    Days after House lawmakers announced their plan to introduce a bill that would ban DeekSeek's chatbot from government-owned devices, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul banned and removed DeepSeek from state agencies, citing data privacy and censorship concerns, the Wall Street Journal reported.

    The policy is similar to the one that has been in place for TikTok on all federal government employee devices since 2022.

    DeepSeek, which is owned by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer, skyrocketed in popularity in January and became the most downloaded consumer AI app in the U.S.

    In late December 2022, then-President Joe Biden signed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act that required all government employees to remove the app from their company phones and personal phones. Concerns were that ByteDance would give user data, such as browsing history and location, to the Chinese government or push misinformation to government officials, the AP reported at the time. Those national security concerns over China's involvement in the app are what eventually fueled the decision to ban the app entirely throughout the United States.

    Read more about DeepSeek from Yahoo News.

  • Android users can now download TikTok app through its website

    TikTok closeup logo displayed on a phone screen, smartphone and keyboard are seen in this multiple exposure illustration. Tik Tok is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by a Beijing based internet technology company, ByteDance.  It is used to create short dance, lip-sync, comedy and talent videos. ByteDance launched TikTok app for iOS and Android in 2017 and earlier in September 2016 Douyin fror the market in China. TikTok became the most downloaded app in the US in October 2018. President of the USA Donald Trump is threatening and planning to ban the popular video sharing app TikTok from the US because of the security risk. Thessaloniki, Greece - August 1, 2020 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
    Nicolas Economou/Getty Images

    Android users in the U.S. can now download the app through the company's Android Package Kit, which is accessible on web browsers, TikTok announced on Feb. 7.

    TikTok is still unavailable in the Apple App Store and Google Play after it was temporarily banned on Jan. 19. The kit allows users to download the full version of the app or the Lite version, which takes up less storage.

    The kit does not allow iPhone users to download the app since Apple does not allow app installation outside of its App Store unless you're in the EU.

  • Elon Musk says he has no interest in buying TikTok

    Elon Musk llega a la investidura del presidente Donald Trump en Washington el 20 de enero del 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)
    Kevin Lamarque/AP

    Elon Musk said during an economic summit late last month that he was not interested in buying TikTok.

    “I’ve not put in a bid for TikTok, and I don’t have any plans for what would I do if I had TikTok,” Musk said in a video released on Feb. 8 by the Welt Group, which hosted the summit in January. He later said that he doesn't use the platform and isn’t familiar with it.

    “I do not acquire companies in general, it’s quite rare,” he continued, clarifying that his 2022 acquisition of X, formerly known as Twitter, was "unusual."

    Despite speculation that Musk could be a potential buyer, TikTok in January denied Musk's involvement, calling the reports “pure fiction.”

  • TikTok sued by U.K. parents for deaths of 4 teenagers

    A lighted, colorful TikTok logo on a mobile phone.
    Jaap Arriens/Getty Images

    The parents of four British teenagers who died after participating in viral TikTok trends are suing the app and its parent company, ByteDance, accusing the platform of being responsible for the deaths.

    Social Media Victims Law Center, a U.S.-based group that files lawsuits against social media companies, filed the wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok on behalf of the children's parents on Feb. 6.

    The BBC reports the lawsuit alleges that the four teenagers died while attempting the "blackout challenge," a viral dare that challenges viewers to see how long they can hold their breath until they pass out due to lack of oxygen.

    The complaint claims the children's deaths were "the foreseeable result of ByteDance's engineered addiction-by-design and programming decisions," which were "aimed at pushing children into maximizing their engagement with TikTok by any means necessary."

    The challenge circulated TikTok in 2022, and in response to legal backlash from parents whose children were impacted, the platform told the Washington Post that it started to block users from searching the hashtag #BlackoutChallenge. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the concept isn't new and variations of the challenge have been around since 1995.

    Read more about the lawsuit from BBC News.

  • Vance reportedly co-leading TikTok sale

    A close-up of a tieless Vice President JD Vance speaking onstage.
    Vice President JD Vance. (Rebecca Droke/Getty Images)

    President Trump has reportedly put Vice President JD Vance and national security adviser Michael Waltz in charge of overseeing the potential TikTok sale, multiple sources told Punchbowl News and The Hill.

    If TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, reaches a deal to sell 50% of the app's ownership to a U.S.-based company, it will be allowed to stay active in the States.

    Vance was a venture capitalist before he was elected to the U.Senate in 2022 and was involved in investments in platforms like Rumble, a YouTube competitor.

  • Trump signs executive order to create sovereign wealth fund, suggests it could buy TikTok

    President Trump holds up a signed executive order in the Oval Office.
    President Trump holds up a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

    President Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments to build the first U.S. sovereign wealth fund that, he said, could "perhaps" buy TikTok.

    A sovereign wealth fund is a government-owned investment fund that can take stakes in multiple financial assets. Most are in non-Western countries, with the largest in Norway, China, Abu Dhabi and Singapore. However, during the 2024 presidential election, both Trump and then-President Joe Biden expressed interest in establishing one.

    "I think it's about time that this country had a sovereign wealth fund," Trump said after signing the executive order. "I think in a short period of time, we'd have one of the biggest funds."

    It is still unclear where the money will come from to start the fund, though Trump has previously suggested it could be funded by "tariffs and other intelligent things," Reuters reported. The sovereign wealth fund will also require Congressional approval before it launches.

    "TikTok — we're going to be doing something, perhaps, with TikTok, and perhaps not, if we make the right deal we'll do it, otherwise we won't, but I have the right to do that," Trump told reporters. "We might put that in the sovereign wealth fund."

  • Trump says Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok

    TikTok logo is seen displayed on a phone screen with Microsoft logo in the background in this illustration photo taken on September 1, 2020. Microsoft and Walmart in joint bid are listed as companies that may purchase tiktok. (Photo Illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
    Credit: Jakub Porzycki/Getty Images

    President Trump told reporters on Monday that Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok and suggested that he would like to see multiple companies compete for the chance to acquire the app.

    “I like bidding wars because you make the best deal,” he said. “So if we have a bidding war, that’s a good thing. But we have a lot of interest in it.”

    Microsoft has not publicly commented on whether it is currently seeking to buy TikTok. The company was one of the top bidders for the app in 2020, during Trump's first term, when he ordered TikTok to separate from ByteDance because of national security concerns.

    Back in 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called the failed deal the "strangest thing I've ever worked on."

  • Perplexity AI presents proposal to TikTok's parent company, ByteDance

    Perplexity AI submitted a plan to ByteDance last week that proposed the U.S. government should own up to 50% of a new business that would be a combination of Perplexity and TikTok's U.S. business, the Associated Press reported. Now, the company has formally presented that plan to ByteDance.

    Perplexity AI is a conversational AI tool with an emphasis on providing proper citations and accurate information. Its CEO, Aravind Srinivas, previously worked at OpenAI and its CTO, Denis Yarats, was an AI research scientist at Meta.

    According to insiders who spoke to the AP, the Trump administration provided edits and feedback on Perplexity's proposal before it was sent to ByteDance.

  • Trump tells reporters TikTok sale will 'probably' be made within next 30 days

    El presidente Donald Trump habla con reporteros a bordo del Air Force One mientras viaja de Las Vegas a Miami el 25 de enero del 2025. (AP foto/Mark Schiefelbein)
    Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

    President Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One about the potential sale of TikTok, as he traveled from Las Vegas to Miami on Jan. 25.

    "Numerous people are talking to me," Trump said, referring to unspecified parties potentially interested in purchasing the app. "Very substantial people." He added that he expects a decision will be officially made "probably" within "the next 30 days."

    Despite previous reports that the Trump administration was seriously working with the Oracle Corporation, one of the world's largest software companies and one of the three major backers behind Trump's $500 billion AI infrastructure investment, Trump clarified that he had not spoken directly to Oracle's co-founder and chief technology officer, Larry Ellison.

    When asked about the TikTok deal at an earlier press conference on Jan. 21, Trump said, referring to Ellison, "I'd like Larry to buy it."

  • Trump questions whether potential TikTok security issues are 'that important'

    President Trump this week questioned the idea that TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance could pose a threat to U.S. national security.

    In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity on Jan. 22, Trump asked: “Is it that important for China to be spying on young people, on young kids, watching crazy videos?” Trump asked. “They make your telephones and they make your computers and they make a lot of other things. ... Isn’t that a bigger threat?”

    This came days after Trump signed an executive order to pause the social platform's ban for 75 days, saying his administration would figure out “the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown” of TikTok.

    In 2020, Trump signed an executive order that warned China could use TikTok to conduct disinformation campaigns, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.

  • iPhones with TikTok app installed listed for thousands of dollars on eBay

    Many TikTok fans avoided deleting the TikTok app on their phones ahead of the ban on Jan. 19 — even though the app issued pop-up warnings about the shutdown and stopped working for several hours.

    But it was ultimately a good decision because TikTok quickly began operating in the U.S. again, specifically for people who kept the app. The Apple and Google app stores no longer offer the option to download the app, even if you have an account. Therefore, fans who deleted it in preparation for the ban can no longer access it. It's unclear when TikTok will return to app stores. President Trump on Monday signed an executive order that delays the ban for 75 days.

    As of Thursday, several used iPhones with the TikTok app are listed for sale on eBay, going for up to $10,000.

    eBay screenshot.
    eBay screenshot. (Katie Mather/Yahoo News)
    eBay screenshot.
    eBay screenshot. (Katie Mather/Yahoo News)
    eBay screenshot.
    eBay screenshot. (Katie Mather/Yahoo News)

    It is unclear if any of these listings have been successful and sales have been made; eBay did not respond to Yahoo News' request for comment. But eBay's site notes the number of people who have viewed the listing and added it to their shopping cart.

    Read more about the temporary TikTok ban from Yahoo News: TikTok was officially banned Sunday morning, but did Trump save it? Here's where things stand.

  • TikTok sued in France over 2 teen suicides

    Stephanie Mistre
    Stephanie Mistre, 51, holds a picture of her daughter, Marie Le Tiec, who died by suicide in 2021. (Tom Nouvian/AP)

    Seven families are suing TikTok in France, accusing the platform of failing to moderate harmful content to its young users. Out of the seven families involved in the lawsuit, two families have experienced losing their children to suicide.

    In its community guidelines, TikTok says it does not allow “showing, promoting or sharing plans for suicide or self-harm.”

    “We care deeply about your well-being and seek to be a source of happiness, enrichment and belonging,” the platform says in its mental and behavioral ealth section.

    The lawsuit, which was filed in November, alleges that TikTok’s algorithm is intentionally trapping vulnerable users in depressing content.

    Laure Boutron-Marmion, a lawyer representing the families suing TikTok, told the Associated Press that the case is based on “extensive evidence” and TikTok "can no longer hide behind the claim that it’s not their responsibility because they don’t create the content.”

    Read more from AP: Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content

  • Who is offering to buy TikTok?

    MrBeast onstage at an awards show.
    YouTuber MrBeast awarded favorite male creator at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. (Richard Shotwell/AP)

    Multiple American companies and entrepreneurs have offered to buy TikTok from ByteDance, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt, who in December pulled together a group of investors. One of those investors is Kevin O’Leary, a Shark Tank host, who told Yahoo Finance that the group is “willing to pay up to $20 billion” for the app. Project Liberty announced last week that it had formally submitted a proposal to ByteDance to buy TikTok.

    YouTube’s famous creator Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, posted on Jan. 15 that he had met with several billionaires and had “an offer ready” to buy TikTok. He did not share much information about who he was meeting with or what the plan looked like.

    While it’s been reported by other outlets that Donaldson has joined a group with investors to buy TikTok, his spokesman Matthew Hiltzik told Yahoo News that “while several potential buyers are in ongoing discussions with Jimmy, he has no exclusive agreements with any of them.”

    Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese government officials allegedly discussed selling TikTok to Elon Musk, who also owns X. Musk has not commented on the reports but has publicly slammed the TikTok ban and said it was “contrary to freedom of speech and expression.”

  • ByteDance board member is confident TikTok will be sold soon

    General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford, who is a board member and one of the major investors in TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance, said at an Axios event in Davos, Switzerland, that he truly believes ByteDance will reach a deal selling TikTok.

    "We'll get on with it, as soon as maybe the end of the week in terms of negotiating what might work,” Ford said on Jan. 22. “The Chinese government, the U.S. government and the company and the board all have to be involved in this conversation."