Will the TikTok Ban in US Finally Be Enforced?
Washington, D.C. – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has made the Biden-to-Trump-era threat crystal clear: the TikTok ban in US will become real unless China agrees to full U.S. control of the app. During a live announcement on CNBC, Luntick warned that if ByteDance refuses to divest by the September 17 deadline, TikTok will be shut down for American users.
“You can’t have Chinese control on 100 million U.S. phones,” Lutnick said. “Americans will own the tech, the algorithm, the platform, or it goes dark.”
Is TikTok Going Dark the Endgame or Leverage?
Since 2024, the U.S. government has pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok’s American business amid national security concerns. Lawmakers fear Beijing’s potential access to user data and content control.
Former President Trump, now in office again, has extended the divestment deadline three times, but this may be the final warning. Trump said he has “very wealthy people” ready to buy TikTok if China agrees to sell. Still, deal talks have stalled, and Blackstone recently pulled out of a bid.
What happens if China refuses? “Then TikTok is going to go dark,” Lutnick repeated, making the consequences clear.
