TikTok’s Future Might Be Secure, But Will the App Be the Same?

By Brittany Siminitz | September 22, 2025

The White House said this weekend that it had struck a deal to keep TikTok in the U.S., though no details on who will own and run the app were revealed.

What we do know is that, according to the Trump administration, an agreement has been reached to give the U.S. six of the seven board seats and control over the app’s algorithm—essentially, it’s TikTok U.S. The deal has yet to be finalized, however, and China recently indicated that it has no plans to hand over the algorithm to the U.S. Trump has again extended TikTok’s deadline for avoiding a ban in the U.S., until Dec. 16.

While some reports claim the details make TikTok’s future less murky, nothing appears certain. But if America does get to take over the TikTok algorithm, this theoretically would create two versions of the app: the Chinese ByteDance-owned one and the new American version. Several outlets, including Digiday, have reported on how this could spell difficulty and confusion for advertisers and longtime users of TikTok.

“A split app reality brings logistical headaches—two platforms, duplicate strategies, unclear audience migration,” Digiday wrote. “But the bigger question is economic: How much budget does a TikTok clone deserve, and who gets to decide what’s worth paying for when the dust settles?”

TikTok execs have responded to these concerns by saying that a split app won’t affect advertising. It would change things for front-end users, though—and who’s to say that those TikTokers will even want to switch to the new app? Unless followers and previous content are made to seamlessly integrate, changing to the U.S. version would be like starting over for creators, and that’s both frustrating and time-consuming.

For now, it remains business as usual on TikTok until anything further is announced. Businesses paying to advertise on the app may want to consider their future marketing plans as the holidays approach. With the Dec. 16 deadline, early holiday ads running on TikTok in its current state could still prove fruitful—but beyond that, it’s hard to say.

As the busiest time of year for many retail businesses approaches, experts are weighing in. “This [new U.S. TikTok app] would have some serious impacts to investments, especially since this is a new platform with unproven results,” Shamsul Chowdhury, global EVP for paid social at digital marketing firm Jellyfish, told Digiday. “I wouldn’t be surprised if budgets funnel into the tried and tested platforms such as Google and Meta because of this change.”

So the question is, Where will your social media marketing dollars go this holiday season?