TikTok owner ByteDance is working on a new US-only version of its popular vertical video app that would replace the current one ahead of a September deadline for the Chinese company to divest ownership in the US, The Information reports.
Citing anonymous sources, the site reports that the new app, codenamed “M2” would launch on Sept. 5 and would require users in the US to switch from the existing app to the new one. President Donald Trump recently extended a deadline for the owner to sell off its US-based TikTok assets to Sept. 17. Earlier this month, Trump said he found a buyer for the company, a group of “very, very wealthy people.”
The administration has continued to extend deadlines for TikTok to remain operational since January. The company reportedly has 170 million users in the US.
A representative for TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment.
According to the story, the reason for the new app version is also due to an Apple App Store restriction that does not allow multiple versions of an app for different regions to appear in the same listing.
