What’s Next for TikTok in the US?

The US and China reportedly reached a “framework” deal on Monday regarding the social media app TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Trump administration.

The Details: President Donald Trump’s deadline for a deal with China was extended multiple times in recent months and is due to come to an end this week. Trump said on Monday that he will finalize the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. A US acquirer for the company was not named, though media outlets named billionaires Larry Ellison, Elon Musk (Lean Right bias), and YouTube personality “MrBeast,” among others, as potential buyers.

Key Quotes: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday, “Of course, we want to ensure that the Chinese have a fair, invested environment in the United States, but always that US national security comes first.” A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson called the deal “a typical act of unilateral bullying and economic coercion.”

How The Media Covered It: News outlets on the left and in the center, such as CNN (Lean Left) and BBC (Center), were generally more critical of the deal’s extensions and lack of conclusivity. CNN also noted Trump’s shift from advocating for a ban to working towards a deal. BBC took a more global stance by highlighting perspectives from the Chinese government and ByteDance’s assertion that no US data has been leaked to the Chinese government. Outlets on the right, such as New York Post (Lean Right), tended to focus on the Trump administration’s comments and assertions. 

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to the summary.