🟢 TRUE / RELIABLE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States is **not banning TikTok in 2026**. A nationwide ban was enforced from January 19, 2025, to January 22, 2026, but it ended with the completion of a divestiture deal creating a new U.S.-based joint venture, allowing TikTok to continue operating legally.[1][2][3]
EVIDENCE & ANALYSIS
Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) in 2024, signed by President Biden, which mandated a ban unless ByteDance divested TikTok’s U.S. operations by January 19, 2025.
The ban took effect briefly on January 19, 2025, after TikTok went dark voluntarily, but President Trump issued executive orders delaying enforcement multiple times (e.g., 75 days on April 4, 2025, and 90 days on June 19, 2025) to negotiate a deal.[1][3]
On January 22, 2026, the deal closed with the formation of TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Key investors include Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX (each ~15%), with ByteDance’s stake capped at 19.9% (below the statutory threshold). The board is U.S.-majority, and U.S. user data is hosted on Oracle’s cloud.[1][2][3][4]
The Supreme Court upheld PAFACA in January 2025, but the executive delays and final divestiture resolved the ban without further enforcement.[1][3]
Post-deal concerns persist, including data security, censorship allegations, and privacy policy changes, but TikTok remains operational and no new ban is scheduled for 2026.[3][5]
SOURCES
[1] Wikipedia: Efforts to ban TikTok in the United States
[2] Broadband Breakfast / AP: What to Know About the Deal to Keep TikTok From Being Banned
[3] Tech Policy Press: US Power Play Over TikTok Did Nothing to Protect Americans
[4] American Progress: The TikTok Deal Leaves Many Questions Unanswered
[5] CBS News: TikTok’s new privacy policy is sparking a backlash