The effort to resolve the TikTok dilemma made significant progress when President Trump assigned Vice President JD Vance to find a solution. Vance, known for his strong defense of free speech, is an excellent choice to address this contentious issue and to finally put any lingering national security concerns to rest.
Vance’s appointment goes to great lengths to ensure that American consumers continue to have access to a preferred social media platform.
To date, the stumbling block to a resolution has been involving an American investor (or investors) who would assume a majority control of the app’s ownership. NBC News reported in February 2025,
“President Donald Trump has tapped Vice President J.D. Vance to broker a potential sale of TikTok to a US-based entity before the most recent ban extension elapses in April, according to two people familiar with the arrangement.”
The report indicated that Trump has tasked Vance, along with National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, with responsibility for overseeing “a congressionally mandated potential deal between Chinese-based and owner ByteDance and an American entity.”
Concerns about ByteDance's misuse of collected data and the Chinese government's requirement that it share any collected data with them -- including elements of the Chinese military -- led to the potential removal of TikTok from American markets.
With President Trump’s efforts to keep the app available in American markets, a significant barrier was removed when Google and Apple, the de facto gatekeepers of the digital ecosystem, stopped blocking access to the app in their app stores. Initially, these two tech giants defied President Trump's Executive Order, which postponed the enforcement of President Biden's TikTok ban.
Their actions exposed a troubling reality: In a world where consumers are heavily reliant on their smartphone apps, Google and Apple hold near-total control over what users can access, essentially determining which platforms thrive or fail in the marketplace. Both companies have since changed their stance, moving away from their anti-competitive positions.
Vance brings added credibility to this resolution effort because he was once concerned about TikTok’s data collection practices himself.
As a former venture capitalist and biotech executive, Vance’s understanding of Silicon Valley and its players gives him a legitimate seat at the negotiating table, both because of his knowledge of the sphere and as President Trump’s duly appointed representative on this matter.
Additionally, Vance has a real-world familiarity with the app. Like President Trump, he advantageously utilized TikTok during the 2024 presidential campaign to get his message out. The Vice President is 40 years old and belongs to a generation of politicians who recognize the importance of engaging with the public on platforms they use. Within months of starting his own TikTok account, Vance gained 2.4 million followers. This success demonstrates that both he and the President effectively utilized the app to connect with younger audiences.
Market research supports their decision to embrace TikTok. With over 170 million users, TikTok is increasingly being used as a platform for news and politics. According to the Pew Research Center, about half of TikTok users under 30 utilize the app to stay informed on news issues compared to a few years ago, contrasting with trends seen on other social media platforms.
Vance’s bona fides for the task are further advanced because of his understanding of the First Amendment implications surrounding any potential ban.
On February 14, 2025, the Vice President spoke at the Munich Security Conference. NPR reported:
“Vance scolded them (European leaders) for censoring conservative and right-wing views that he said shut people out from the democratic process.” … ‘To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like 'misinformation' and 'disinformation,' who simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion, or -- God forbid -- vote a different way. Or even worse, win an election…’”
The prospects of TikTok's survival are good with Vance at the helm. He understands the risks and value of the app and is well-suited to find a solution to the issue. Ultimately, it looks likely that American consumers will maintain their freedom of choice… and their freedom of speech.
Frank Salvato is the vice president of News & Information Operations for Global Emergent Media Communications (GEMCom), a subsidiary of LimComm, LLC. He is the host of the Underground USA podcast. Salvato has been published by the American Enterprise Institute, the Washington Times, Accuracy in Media, and Human Events, and can be heard twice weekly on the America’s Third Watch radio program syndicated on the Salem Broadcasting Network.
Image: TikTok