TikTok may be banned in the US if ByteDance does not secure Chinese approval for a divestment deal, as required by a US law targeting foreign adversaries.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said TikTok can stay if US firms gain control of its algorithm, but ByteDance has until September 17, 2025 to comply with the divestment order.

Although not part of formal trade talks, the issue may arise as China restricts exports of tech like TikTok’s recommendation system.

While discussions about TikTok are not officially part of ongoing US-China trade talks, Lutnick acknowledged that the issue may come up during negotiations.

China has previously expressed resistance to approving a sale, citing restrictions on the export of technologies like TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, which require government approval.

The US Supreme Court upheld a 2024 law mandating ByteDance to divest, driven by national security concerns, though ByteDance denies wrongdoing.

Despite TikTok’s popularity, public support for a US ban has declined from 50% in 2023 to 34% this year, according to Pew Research Center.