The State of TikTok in the U.S.

The Situation

The extension on the deadline for the infamous TikTok ban in the US is fast approaching. Originally slated for January 19, the Trump administration unilaterally postponed the ban to April 5. Following the first ban scare, TikTok Shop did briefly go offline with no notice, leaving shoppers, creators, and agencies in the dark regarding the platform's future. The TikTok app itself was removed from the Google Play and Apple App stores. To date, there have been no definitive plans by ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US entity, so it remains to be seen whether a similar outcome should be expected once again, this time permanently.

What Is Happening Now

Ever since the stay on execution was announced, several names have come forward expressing interest in buying TikTok to "save it" from going extinct in the US, including the usual suspects in Google, Meta, and Microsoft; as well as some surprise bidders in YouTuber MrBeast, AI search startup Perplexity, and, of course, Elon Musk.Meanwhile, the US Senate is urging President Trump to allow the White House to move forward with its arrangements to divest TikTok through official channels rather than via an executive order, which could extend the sale of TikTok till October.Interestingly, recent data from Pew Research seems to suggest that public support for a TikTok ban has dropped from 50% in March 2023 to 34% as of March 2, 2025.

What Are The Next Steps

Thankfully, the initial ban deadline shed some light on how those entrenched in the TikTok Shop ecosystem should prepare for an eventual ban or divestment. While it's always a good practice to keep backups, creators and sellers alike should continue (or begin) downloading their content, and screenshotting or exporting their analytics. For agencies, it would be a good idea to start working with your clients and brands on migration plans to continue services on alternative social commerce platforms such as YouTube Shopping, Instagram Shop, and Pinterest, all which have significant overlap in users with TikTok; or even newcomer platforms like Clapper, Flip, or Likee, where there's huge growth potential.