BUSINESS

TikTok Denies Report of Separate U.S. App That Could Pave Way for Sale

Published: Jul. 14, 2025 7:23 p.m. GMT+8

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TikTok has denied a news report that it was preparing a standalone app for American users that could pave the way for a sale and allow the ByteDance Ltd.-owned social media platform to keep operating in the U.S.

In a statement Wednesday, TikTok disputed a Reuters story that reported TikTok is working on “a new, U.S.-specific version” of the app that would lay the groundwork for a potential sale orchestrated by U.S. President Donald Trump. TikTok called the story “factually inaccurate,” and noted the reporting was “based on anonymous uninformed sources.”

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TikTok denied a Reuters report claiming it was preparing a standalone US app for a potential sale; called the story "factually inaccurate."
President Trump has repeatedly extended the TikTok sale deadline, now set for September 17, 2025, and says a deal requires Beijing’s approval.
TikTok faces regulatory challenges, including a €530 million EU fine in May 2024 for GDPR violations and a new probe over EEA user data storage in China.

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Who’s Who

Apple Inc.: Apple Inc. removed TikTok from its app store after the January 2025 deadline for ByteDance to sell the app passed without a sale. However, TikTok was later reinstated after President Donald Trump took office and postponed the enforcement of the law.

Google LLC: Google LLC removed TikTok from its app store after the January 19, 2025 deadline for ByteDance to sell the app passed without a sale. However, TikTok was later reinstated after Donald Trump took office as President and deferred enforcement of the law.

ByteDance Ltd.: ByteDance Ltd. is the owner of the social media platform TikTok, which is facing challenges in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., TikTok is under pressure to sell its operations due to national security concerns. In Europe, ByteDance's TikTok is under investigation by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for transferring European user data to Chinese servers.

TikTok: TikTok denied a report about preparing a standalone app for American users to facilitate a sale, calling it "factually inaccurate." The app faced a potential US ban, postponed by President Trump. He has repeatedly alluded to a deal, despite Chinese export controls on relevant technology. TikTok also faces an EU probe for data transfer to China.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

August 2020：: The Chinese government added technologies related to personalized information recommendation and AI interactive interface to its export control list, creating a regulatory barrier to TikTok's sale to a foreign buyer.

April 2024：: Former U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok on national security grounds unless ByteDance sold the app before Jan. 19, 2025.

By Jan. 19, 2025：: ByteDance was supposed to sell TikTok to comply with the new U.S. law; when the deadline passed without a sale, TikTok was removed from Apple and Google's app stores.

January 2025：: Donald Trump took office as U.S. president; he repeatedly alluded to having a TikTok deal on the table.

After Jan. 19, 2025：: TikTok was reinstated in app stores after Trump took office and postponed enforcement of the law.

April 2025：: TikTok disclosed that some European Economic Area (EEA) user data had been stored on China-based servers, contrary to evidence presented in a previous DPC investigation, and said it had immediately deleted the data.

May 2025：: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok 530 million euros ($601 million) over GDPR violations related to data transfers to China.

June 2025：: Donald Trump said during a cable news interview that he found a group of 'very wealthy people' interested in purchasing TikTok’s U.S. operations but acknowledged Beijing needed to approve the deal.

Earlier September 2025：: Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One he would start talking to China about a possible TikTok deal, saying the U.S. 'pretty much' had a deal for the sale of the app.