It was supposed to be the end. January 19, 2025, was circled on calendars in red ink. That was the day the music was supposed to stop, the "For You" page was supposed to go dark, and TikTok was essentially slated to vanish from American app stores. But then, something kinda weird happened. In the final hours of his presidency, Joe Biden decided he wasn't going to be the one to pull the plug.
Basically, the Biden won't enforce TikTok ban news caught a lot of people off guard. After all, he was the one who signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) into law back in April 2024. He’d spent months with his administration arguing in court that the app was a "grave" national security threat. Then, at the one-yard line, he punted.
Why the sudden change of heart?
Honestly, it wasn't a sudden change in how the administration felt about the security risks. It was mostly about the clock. Because the ban’s deadline fell on a Sunday—literally the day before the 2025 inauguration—White House officials figured it was a logistical nightmare. Imagine trying to force Apple and Google to scrub an app used by 170 million people while you're busy packing boxes and handing over the keys to the West Wing.
"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the time. It was a classic "not my problem anymore" move. Biden didn't want the chaos of a nationwide digital blackout to be the final chapter of his legacy.
The Supreme Court gave the green light
What makes this even more interesting is that the courts actually gave Biden the power to do it. Just days before the deadline, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in TikTok Inc. v. Garland. They basically said, "Yeah, this law is fine." They rejected TikTok’s argument that the ban violated the First Amendment, ruling that the government’s interest in national security outweighed the free speech concerns of ByteDance.
Even with that legal hammer in his hand, Biden chose not to swing it.
Instead, TikTok stayed live. For a few tense hours on January 18, the app actually voluntarily suspended services in the U.S. as a precaution. But once it became clear that the DOJ wouldn't be knocking on doors, the lights stayed on.
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Trump’s "Save TikTok" U-turn
Then came the plot twist. Donald Trump, the guy who originally tried to ban the app back in 2020, spent much of his 2024 campaign promising to "save" it. On his first day back in office—January 20, 2025—he signed an executive order delaying the ban’s enforcement for 75 days.
He didn't just do it once. Throughout 2025, he kept kicking the can down the road:
- April 2025: Another 75-day extension.
- June 2025: A third extension to September.
- September 2025: A massive 120-day extension that brings us into early 2026.
Trump’s vibe shifted from "ban it" to "deal-maker." He wanted a way for TikTok to stay in the U.S. but under a structure that looked like it solved the China problem. He basically ignored the strict "divestiture or ban" language of the law Biden signed, opting instead to negotiate a complex joint venture.
The "New" TikTok U.S. Deal
By late 2025, a deal started to take shape. It wasn't a total sale, which is what the law technically required. Instead, it was a move to create a new entity called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.
Under this setup:
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- Oracle and other U.S. investors take a huge chunk of the pie.
- ByteDance (the Chinese parent company) keeps a minority stake, reportedly less than 20%.
- The algorithm gets "retrained" on U.S. servers so the Chinese government supposedly can't touch it.
Critics are already screaming that this doesn't actually follow the law. The law said ByteDance had to completely divest. A 20% stake isn't zero. But since the Executive Branch is the one that has to enforce the law, and the President says the deal is "good enough," we’re in a bit of a legal gray area.
What this means for you right now
If you’re a creator or just someone who likes scrolling through recipes at 2 AM, the "ban" is effectively dead in the water for now. The app isn't going anywhere today. We are currently looking at a "final" completion date for this new U.S. entity around January 22, 2026.
But don't get too comfortable. Congress is annoyed. Some lawmakers feel Trump is "unconstitutionally" refusing to enforce the law they passed. There’s a decent chance we see new lawsuits or even new legislation trying to force the issue if the "TikTok U.S." entity still feels too much like the old TikTok.
Actionable Insights for Users and Creators
1. Don't delete your account yet. The drama is mostly political theater at this stage. The chances of a hard blackout—where the app just stops working—are incredibly low given the current administration's focus on a "qualified divestiture" deal.
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2. Watch the "Joint Venture" updates.
The real thing to look for is the transition to TikTok USDS. If you see a notification about updated Terms of Service or data migration to Oracle servers, that’s the deal actually happening. It means the app is likely safe for the long haul.
3. Diversify your presence.
If you make money on TikTok, you've probably already done this, but keep your Reels and YouTube Shorts game strong. The legal battle in 2026 might focus on whether the new deal "precludes an operational relationship" with China. If a court decides it doesn't, we could be right back in "ban" territory.
4. Check your privacy settings.
Regardless of who owns the app, the U.S. government is still obsessed with the data. Take five minutes to go into your settings and limit what the app tracks. It won't stop the geopolitical bickering, but it’s good digital hygiene anyway.
The saga of how Biden won't enforce TikTok ban led to this weird, lingering limbo is a masterclass in how Washington works. Laws are signed, deadlines are set, and then reality—and politics—intervene. For now, the scroll continues.