The future of TikTok's operations in the US remains uncertain as a deadline for its sale approaches, leaving potential billionaire investors in limbo. The US government has repeatedly extended the date by which ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, must sell its US operations or face a ban.

• Billionaire investor Frank McCourt stated he has raised the capital to buy TikTok's US operations but is "standing by and waiting to see what happens."
• The latest deadline for a sale or block for American users is January 23, 2026, as per an executive order by US President Donald Trump.
• The original law, passed by Congress in 2024 and upheld by the Supreme Court in early 2025, cited national security concerns due to ByteDance's links to the Chinese government and fears of data handover.
• McCourt expressed concerns about "a concentration of power and influence" and wishes to operate TikTok without any Chinese technology, including its recommendation algorithm, proposing his Project Liberty's alternative technology.