Is TikTok going to be banned? Major development as US deal ‘agreed’

• TikTok looks set to remain in the US.
• A deal with ByteDance is said to have been ‘agreed’.
• But what exactly is the latest update?

A major development has emerged in the potential ban of TikTok in America. The popular social media app had been left at risk of being barred from the country over concerns about its Chinese-owners.

US users were locked out of the app earlier in 2025 after a nationwide ban came into force. It was quickly reversed and people gained access again, but the threat of a permanent ban has been hanging over the app.

However, a major development has now emerged and the future of the app could soon become clear. Here’s all you need to know:

Is TikTok going to be banned?

Across the pond in America, the popular short-form video platform has been under scrutiny since President Trump’s first term (from 2017 to 2021). Concerns were raised by politicians about the apps Chinese owner ByteDance and risks around national security.

However, it was in President Joe Biden’s term that a law explicitly risking a ban of the app was passed and signed. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act went through in the United States House of Representatives in March 2024.

It required ByteDance to divest from TikTok or the app would face a ban in America. The framework of a deal to sell the app has been reached, according to Politico.

President Trump has also pushed back the deadline to December this year, in a new executive-order. The terms for the deal will reportedly be confirmed in a call between Trump and China’s Xi Jinping on Friday (September 19).

Can you still use TikTok in the US?

The app went into shutdown on January 18, with American users left unable to use TikTok. Fortunately it didn’t last too long and normal service resumed the following day.

If a deal to sell TikTok is agreed, it will put an end to the risk of a ban. At least in America.

See how words popularised on TikTok have made it into the dictionary. Read the full list here.