TikTok has successfully postponed a possible prohibition in the United States, but the clock is ticking. If a decision is not made by April 5, the ban is expected to come into effect—and this time, it may extend far beyond the brief interruption earlier this month.

A potential route for TikTok to evade a full ban is for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership in the app. Former President Donald Trump has indicated that ByteDance is seemingly weighing this possibility.

**SEE ALSO:** [As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future](https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-ban-update-what-will-happen-influencers-creators)

While aboard Air Force One, Trump affirmed that Microsoft is among the firms interested in purchasing TikTok. “I would say yes,” he responded to a journalist when questioned about Microsoft’s discussions regarding the acquisition. He also remarked on the “significant interest in TikTok” and shared his enthusiasm for a potential “bidding war” for the sale, as reported by *The Guardian*. Likewise, *BBC News* covered Trump’s remarks regarding the prospective sale.

The idea of Microsoft buying TikTok has been circulating since 2020. At that time, Microsoft publicly expressed its intention to consider acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. In a blog entry, the company disclosed that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken directly with Trump about the situation.

This newfound focus on TikTok’s future follows Trump signing an executive order that extends the app’s ban by 75 days, moving the deadline to April 5. The former president mentioned his objective to negotiate a resolution that alleviates national security worries while steering clear of an immediate closure of the platform. The continuing discussions with Microsoft could be pivotal in achieving a solution before the deadline.