TikTok’s US Sale: Like Waiting for Year 2026’s Worst Soap Opera Finale
KEY POINTS
- •On January 19th, TikTok briefly went offline in the US to comply with a new ByteDance-related ban law.
- •CEO Shou Zi Chew announced the deal with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX is expected to close on January 22nd, 2026.
- •Former President Trump repeatedly extended the ban deadline, delaying penalties and keeping TikTok barely alive on US app stores.
After practically ghosting US users on January 19th during Trump’s slapstick 'divest-or-ban' saga, TikTok reappeared in app stores like a desperate sequel nobody asked for. CEO Shou Zi Chew announced a blockbuster 2026 closing date for the TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, featuring Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX—the Avengers of tech buyouts—taking over to babysit data, algorithms, and content moderation. Meanwhile, Trump kept signing ban extensions faster than a late-night infomercial sells magic pillows, making TikTok’s fate as clear as a politician’s promises. Lawmakers admit they’re as clueless as the rest of us, while the app’s rollercoaster ride defies Netflix drama pacing. If absurdity was an algorithm, TikTok’s negotiation would be #viral.
Share the Story
TikTok’s US sale drama makes Game of Thrones look like a quick read. Three years of ban, delay, extend, rinse, repeat. The only thing viral here is indecision.
Waiting for TikTok’s US deal to finalize feels like watching paint dry but with more oracle commercials.
If procrastination was an Olympic sport, the TikTok ban saga would have more gold than Michael Phelps.
Source: Theverge | Published: 12/19/2025 | Author: Verge Staff
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