TikTok may soon disappear from the phones of over 100 million Americans unless China agrees to relinquish control of the app to the United States, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

In a bold statement delivered Thursday, Lutnick made it clear that national security concerns take precedence over the app’s immense popularity. “We’ve made the decision. You can’t have Chinese control and have something on 100 million American phones,” he declared, emphasizing the U.S. government’s firm stance.

The warning stems from a law passed in 2024 mandating TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face a nationwide ban. U.S. lawmakers argue that continued Chinese ownership poses a risk of espionage, content manipulation, and unauthorized access to sensitive American user data.

The situation has become a geopolitical flashpoint between the U.S. and China. ByteDance has until September 17 to sell its U.S. TikTok operations, following an extension granted by President Donald Trump — the third such delay since he assumed office in January. Trump has indicated his administration is determined to put TikTok under American control, stating that “Americans will have control. Americans will own the technology. Americans will control the algorithm.”

Despite ongoing discussions, it remains unclear how close ByteDance is to securing a deal. Trump recently hinted in an interview that a group of wealthy U.S. investors is ready to acquire TikTok’s American business. However, progress appears stalled; earlier this month, private equity giant Blackstone reportedly exited a bidding consortium, casting further doubt over the transaction’s prospects.

Lutnick left little room for negotiation: “If China doesn’t approve the deal, then TikTok is going to go dark.”