TikTok won't make major change that could save its US business

Scrolling on our phones for hours has become a regular occurrence, and TikTok is one of the main drivers of this addictive habit.

Although it needs no introduction since it's one of the most-downloaded apps in the U.S., TikTok is a short-form video app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, launched in 2016.

💵💰 Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💵💰

Since President Donald Trump proposed the first TikTok ban in 2020, claiming it threatened national security, the U.S. government has signed multiple proposals and laws to ban the Chinese app nationwide.

In April 2024, former President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S. company by January 19, 2025, or the app would be shut down.

However, after years of this ongoing feud with ByteDance, President Trump unexpectedly signed an executive order allowing TikTok's service to be restored only a few hours after the ban began, effectively delaying it.

From that day on, TikTok-addicted Americans have been teased with multiple deadlines that always result in an extension.

TikTok has responded to rumors of a new spin-off U.S. app.

Image Source: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Rumors of a new U.S. TikTok app emerge

At the beginning of this month, tech publication The Information revealed that ByteDance was working on a spin-off TikTok app that would be released in the U.S. very soon.

It also reported that the new app would replicate the original version but have an algorithm and data system separate from its global one.

More Business News:

The Information stated that the exact launch date was unknown, but the existing TikTok app would be removed from all app stores the same day the new app launches in the U.S.

A day later, Reuters published an article on the release of a new U.S. TikTok app, citing sources familiar with the topic.

TikTok denies rumors of a new U.S. spin-off app

The thought of TikTok getting a new lifeline lifted the spirits of many TikTok-addicted Americans; however, the joy was short-lived.

TikTok has posted a statement on the newsroom section of its official website, denying all rumors of a new spin-off app coming to the U.S., despite the deadline approaching very soon.

“The recently posted Reuters story, which is based on anonymous uninformed sources, is factually inaccurate,” wrote TikTok in the statement.

Although The Information was the first to report the plans of the alleged spin-off app, TikTok specifically calls out Reuters in its statement because it reported the rumor as an exclusive, providing specific details from anonymous sources who it described as familiar with the matter.

However, TikTok didn't explicitly say a new app wasn't in the works; it simply stated that the information was factually incorrect.

This could mean that a spin-off TikTok app may still launch in the U.S., but the system, release date, and other details may be slightly off from what was reported.

Still, this rumor may offer hope to all panicked Americans who can't stand the thought of never getting to use TikTok again, especially during a time of so much change.