TikTok is once again at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has warned that the popular short-form video app could be banned in the U.S. by September 2025 — if China doesn’t approve a long-delayed divestment deal that would sever TikTok’s ties with Beijing.
The move stems from a national security law passed earlier this year that requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations to a domestically approved buyer. However, China has yet to approve the deal, originally introduced under the Trump administration in 2020.
“The law is clear — TikTok must be sold, or it will be banned,” said Raimondo during an interview with Variety. “If China doesn’t act by September, we will.”
National Security Concerns Continue
Concerns about TikTok’s data privacy and potential influence by the Chinese government have long plagued the app. U.S. lawmakers argue that ByteDance’s ownership gives Beijing indirect access to user data, potentially compromising national security.
Although TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims and attempted to localize data storage within the U.S., skepticism remains high among regulators.
A Timeline Four Years in the Making
This isn’t the first time TikTok has faced such scrutiny. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations. While the order faced legal challenges and was never fully enforced, the issue has resurfaced with stronger bipartisan support in 2025.
The latest legislation was passed earlier this year and gave TikTok until September 2025 to divest its American assets or face a nationwide ban.
What Happens Next?
If China refuses to greenlight the sale, TikTok could be removed from U.S. app stores and blocked from operating within American networks. This would affect over 150 million U.S. users, many of whom rely on the app for entertainment, business, and social engagement.
The Biden administration has stated it does not want to ban the platform but will follow through if the conditions are not met. TikTok has not issued an official response to the September deadline but continues to challenge the divestment law in court.
Conclusion:
TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance as a political standoff between Washington and Beijing intensifies. With a September 2025 deadline looming, all eyes are on China’s next move — and whether TikTok can remain a global social media powerhouse without being pulled into a full-scale tech cold war.