TikTok’s staff is reportedly building a new version of the app for American users — dubbed M2 — for a September release ahead of an expected sale, The Information reported this week. Any potential deal will still have to be approved by the Chinese government.
The news comes amid suggestions from the Trump administration that a group of “non-Chinese” investors are pursuing the app. The group is said to include Oracle.
In late June, The White House said keeping TikTok available to the American public is the president’s “main priority.” The press secretary added that Trump wants to accomplish his goal “while protecting [Americans’] privacy and security.”
On June 29, Trump then told Fox News “a group of very wealthy people” were clamoring to buy the app. “I think President Xi will probably do it,” he said.
The app was initially set to be banned on Jan. 19 after President Biden signed a law in 2024 requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell TikTok’s American operations. Lawmakers were concerned that ByteDance could use the platform to spy on citizens for China’s government.
On Jan. 20, Trump gave the app a 75-day extension, a decision he re-upped in April. That deadline extension will expire on Sept. 17.
