Trump Unveils 'TikTok America': A New Plan to Keep the App in the US

Trump's Solution to the TikTok Predicament: 'TikTok America'

After delaying a US-imposed ban on TikTok earlier this year, the Trump Administration has proposed creating a new company called 'TikTok America.' This plan would see 50% ownership by new US investors, 30% by existing investors, and 19.9% by ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok. The details are still slim, and it's unclear whether China has agreed to this proposal or what ByteDance thinks of it. Amazon recently placed a last-minute bid on the service, adding another layer of uncertainty.

The saga began in mid-2020 under the Trump administration and continued through President Biden's tenure, culminating in a law signed by Biden in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok to a US buyer within nine months. The ban was set to take effect but was delayed multiple times. Trump, after taking office, officially ordered the ban not to be enforced on January 20, keeping his promise to Americans that TikTok would continue operating in the US.