TikTok will remain available in the United States following a deal between Washington and Beijing that paves the way for the app’s transfer to American ownership. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the agreement after weekend trade talks in Madrid, just days before a September 17 deadline that could have forced a shutdown if parent company ByteDance failed to find a buyer.
The decision affects TikTok’s estimated 170 million U.S. users, many of whom had been bracing for disruptions amid the prolonged negotiations. According to reports, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is expected to lead the American ownership group. Oracle has already played a role in TikTok’s U.S. operations, particularly around cloud infrastructure and data security, making its deeper involvement a logical step. Final terms of the deal are expected to be discussed further when President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping speak on Friday.
For users, the agreement means continuity. TikTok’s app will remain available through official channels like the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, avoiding the need for sideloading or other workarounds that some had feared might become necessary. Existing accounts and content libraries will carry over seamlessly, ensuring that creators and viewers don’t lose access to the platform that has become central to mobile video culture.
The resolution also marks the end of months of speculation about whether TikTok could survive in the U.S. market under its current ownership structure. Political scrutiny around national security and data privacy had intensified, with some lawmakers calling for a complete ban. By shifting TikTok into American hands, the deal aims to address those concerns while preserving the platform’s massive user base.
How the new ownership will shape TikTok’s policies, moderation practices, or data handling remains to be seen. Still, the agreement offers a measure of stability in a space where uncertainty has weighed heavily on both users and advertisers.
