TikTok’s back in the spotlight, and it’s serving more drama than a Gen Z influencer’s breakup vlog. President Trump’s teasing a mystery buyer—some “very wealthy people”—to keep the app alive in the U.S.

With a September 17 deadline looming, marketers are sweating, creators are stressing, and the app’s fate is dangling like a viral dance challenge. Will TikTok keep grooving or face the ultimate ban? Let’s unpack the chaos. Plus, your weekly dose of digital and social updates, served hot by The Viral Venti from Akari & Co.

Marketing

Trump’s TikTok Tease: A Deal, a Deadline, and a Whole Lotta Drama

TikTok is quietly building a brand-new, U.S.-only version of its app — and it’s not just a rebrand. Internally dubbed "M2," the app will feature a separate algorithm and data infrastructure, trained exclusively on American user data. The goal? To comply with U.S. legislation forcing TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell or face a nationwide ban.

📱 According to Reuters, the app is set to hit U.S. app stores as early as September 5th, with the original version slated for removal and full deactivation by early 2026.

💼 Behind the scenes, a powerhouse group of investors — including Susquehanna International Group, KKR, General Atlantic, and Oracle — is preparing to buy the U.S. spinoff. MarketWatch reports that this version of TikTok is the one these investors will control, marking a major shift in how the app is governed on American soil.

The move comes amid ongoing geopolitical tension and strict export controls from Beijing, which has signaled it won’t approve any sale that includes TikTok’s core recommendation algorithm — prompting ByteDance to build the new version from scratch.

Key Details

• Trump’s Tease: On Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump claimed a buyer is ready to take TikTok’s U.S. operations, promising to reveal the mystery group in “about two weeks.” He’s banking on China’s President Xi Jinping approving the deal, but Beijing’s not exactly RSVP-ing with enthusiasm.

• Deadline Drama: ByteDance has until September 17 to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban, per a 2024 law signed by then-President Joe Biden. Trump’s already delayed enforcement three times, including a 90-day extension in June.

• Ownership Rules: The law caps ByteDance’s stake at 20% in any deal and bans coordination on algorithms or data-sharing, meaning TikTok’s “secret sauce” algorithm might not make the cut.

• China’s Cold Shoulder: Beijing’s hinted it won’t approve a sale that includes TikTok’s algorithm, and past deals have crumbled when Trump’s tariffs ruffled feathers. 

The Players in the TikTok Tug-of-War 

• Oracle & Friends: The cloud computing giant is the frontrunner, already serving as TikTok's U.S. tech partner. They're reportedly teaming up with existing investors like General Atlantic and Susquehanna International Group—basically, the popular kids' table.

• The People's Bid: Frank McCourt (yes, the former Dodgers owner) and Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank are leading a group that wants to give users more control over their data. They're calling it "The People's Bid for TikTok"—very democratic, very American, very on-brand.

• MrBeast & Co.: The YouTube king Jimmy Donaldson is throwing his hat in the ring alongside Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley. If anyone knows how to keep Gen Z engaged, it's the guy who gives away Tesla cars for views.

• Perplexity AI: The AI search engine company thinks they can "rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly." Bold claim from a company most people couldn't pick out of a lineup.

• Mystery Consortium: The April deal that almost happened involved unnamed venture capital firms, private equity funds, and tech giants. Think of it as the Illuminati, but for social media acquisitions.

Marketers, Hold Your Ad Dollars

The TikTok saga’s got digital marketers sweating more than a brand manager during a PR crisis. With the app’s future in limbo, here’s how it’s shaking up the game:

• Ad Spend Scramble: TikTok’s CPMs were already climbing at $4.90 in January, but uncertainty is pushing brands to Meta’s Reels and Instagram, where expanded ad inventory is keeping CPMs lower year-over-year. Time to pivot those budgets, folks.

• Creator Chaos: Influencers are hedging bets, flocking to web-based TikTok workarounds or cross-posting on RedNote, which just hit #1 on the App Store. Duolingo’s Mandarin courses spiked 216% as “TikTok refugees” eye the Chinese app.

• Speculator Whispers: Ecom power players like Ridge Wallet’s CEO are floating a theory that TikTok Shop might quietly take a backseat post-sale. The hypothesis? With recent layoffs in commerce and a shift toward compliance-heavy infrastructure, TikTok’s U.S. leadership may deprioritize its once flagship revenue stream.
  👉 Tweet here

The Bottom Line

TikTok’s future in the US is once again on the auction block. While boardrooms debate, marketers should prep contingency plans for ad spend, creators should diversify, and everyone else should enjoy the For You Page while they can. Because nothing’s certain except the next dance trend.

Social Media Trends

The Weekly Scroll 📱

Instagram/Facebook/Threads

✉️ Threads Finally Gets Its Own DMs Threads is rolling out in-app DMs, breaking free from Instagram’s inbox. The app is growing up and sliding into independence—literally. 👉 Send a DM

🔎 Instagram Content to Appear in Google Search Starting July 10, 2025, your public photos and videos can show up in search results (yes, even on Google). More reach, more eyeballs—and maybe more reason to double-check those captions. 👉 Update your settings

🛡️ Meta Adds Copyright Check to Reels Meta now warns you about copyrighted content before you post a Reel. Because going viral shouldn’t come with a cease-and-desist. 👉 Check before you post

📈 Threads Nears X's Daily User Numbers New data shows that Threads is catching up to X (Twitter) in daily active users. The race for your doomscrolling time is heating up. 👉 Watch the climb

TikTok

📌 TikTok Launches Bulletin Board Feature TikTok is testing a “Bulletin Board” where creators can pin announcements, updates, or important links on their profiles. Think of it as your own personal hype wall. 👉 Pin it up

🎵 TikTok Adds Auto Sound Copyright Check on iOS TikTok iOS users now get an automatic copyright check for sounds before posting. Save yourself a takedown — or that awkward silence. 👉 Check your sounds

YouTube

💬 YouTube Tests ‘Answer Found in This Video’ Feature YouTube’s new feature highlights when a video directly answers a user’s search query. Perfect for marketers who want their how-tos to finally get the spotlight they deserve. 👉 Get discovered

X / Twitter

Nada this week!

Other Platforms

🎥 LinkedIn Adds Video Covers for Articles & Newsletters LinkedIn now lets you add video covers to articles and newsletters. Because nothing says “thought leader” like a moving thumbnail intro. 👉 Level up your content

📸 Flashes: The Bluesky-Based Instagram Alternative Flashes is here, combining Instagram’s photo vibes with Bluesky’s decentralized social model. Post pics, but keep your data (mostly) yours. 👉 Check it out

📌 Instagram Edits App Adds Stickies Instagram’s Edits app introduces “Stickies,” letting you add playful text and graphic stickers to videos. Your edits just got extra personality. 👉 Get sticky

Digital Marketing Trends/Ads

Tour de Headlines

Meta

💬 Meta Expands Messaging Ads & AI Chatbots Meta is adding more ad options in Messenger and WhatsApp, plus AI chatbots to handle those “Is this still available?” DMs for you. Your inbox hustle, now automated. 👉 Upgrade your ads

⚖️ Meta Wins Major AI Copyright Lawsuit A US judge sided with Meta against authors claiming AI copyright infringement. Big win for AI developers; not so much for your favorite sci-fi novelist. 👉 Read the verdict

TikTok

🔒 TikTok Plans US-Only Version to Avoid Ban TikTok is exploring a US-only version and potential sale to keep operating stateside. The app’s split personality arc continues. 👉 Watch the drama

🏡 TikTok Shares Home Decor Marketing Tips TikTok dropped a guide to help home decor brands thrive on the app — think trending sounds, cozy vibes, and aesthetic chaos. 👉 Steal the tips

Google / YouTube

💬 YouTube Highlights Most Relevant Comments YouTube now shows engagement data on top comments, making it easier to see which hot takes are actually heating up. Perfect for spotting the real MVPs in the chat. 👉 Check the buzz

⚙️ Google Ads Launches 'Ad Strength' for Demand Gen Google Ads added “Ad Strength” scoring to Demand Gen campaigns to help you fine-tune creative before going live. It’s like a vibe check for your ads. 👉 Strengthen your ads

🔎 YouTube Adds AI Overviews to Search YouTube is integrating AI-generated overviews in search to summarize video content faster. Goodbye endless skimming, hello instant cliff notes. 👉 Try a search

🤖 Study Finds Google AI Search Results Vary Widely A new study shows Google’s AI search mode returns very different results across sessions — consistency? Never met her. 👉 Dive into the findings

X (Formerly Twitter)

💸 X Plans to Charge Ads Based on Time Viewed X is shifting ad pricing to focus on time spent viewing, not just impressions. Because lurking longer = paying more. 👉 See the change

🤖 X Lets AI Bots Help Write Community Notes X is now allowing approved AI bots to draft Community Notes. Fact-checking just got a robo-assistant — hopefully, they’re less chaotic than the replies. 👉 Watch it unfold

Other Platforms

🤖 Meta Rolls Out AI-Powered Campaign Tools for WhatsApp Meta launched centralized campaign tools with AI support for WhatsApp, making it easier for businesses to run and manage promotions without melting down in group chats. 👉 Simplify your campaigns

🔎 Pinterest Shares Tips to Boost Visual Search Pinterest dropped advice for brands on maximizing visual discovery — because in the Pinterest world, aesthetics = ROI. 👉 Level up your pins

Interesting Stats

Show these to execs when they question you

🧠 TikTok Time Deep Dive: The average user now spends 55 minutes and 48 seconds per day on TikTok. This makes up a remarkable 32% of their total daily social media use. 

🎥 Short‑Form Preferences: A staggering 82% of TikTok users browse the For You Page without searching, highlighting a strong preference for immersive, discovery-driven content.

🤖 AI Chatbots & News: About 15% of global users under 25 use AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT) weekly for news, versus 7% of all users. 

🎬 Short‑Form Video Reigns: Short-form video remains dominant, led by TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels, per Sendible’s report. 

🛍️ Influencer Spending Soars: Influencer marketing spend has reached $32.55 billion globally as of June 2025, with ROI-first strategies and AI integration on the rise.

Recommendations/Resources

Tools & Apps We’re Loving Right Now 🛠️

Best AI Image Creator – Leonardo AI is blowing our minds. We’re ditching clunky design tools because this one’s got the magic touch.
👉 Give it a go

Best for Tracking TikTok Metrics & Competitor Benchmarking – TokBackup has become our secret weapon for TikTok insights. If you’re not using this, you’re flying blind.
👉 Explore TokBackup

See Competitor Ads in Real-Time – Meta Ads Library lets you spy on your competitors' strategies and campaigns. Lurking in here is basically a full-time job.
👉 Peek inside

Google Ads Campaign Insights – Google Ads Transparency Center lets you see where ad dollars are flowing. If you like data with a side of snooping, this tool’s for you.
👉 Go snoop

Best AI voiceovers - So, your talent flubbed a line, or you changed your script after recording? ElevenLabs lets you turn text into hyper-realistic voiceovers so seamless, no one will ever know.
👉 Fix it

Best AI Video Generation- HeyGen is this cool AI tool that lets you create videos with super realistic avatars that talk just by typing a script. It’s great if you hate being on camera or want to make content fast—plus, it can speak over 40 languages, so it’s perfect for reaching a global audience. Super easy, saves you time and money, and the results actually look professional.
👉 Try It

Ad Creative Analytics - Beautiful creative reporting to help your team generate more revenue from your paid social ads.

👉 Try it out

Shower Thought  🚿💭

Mondays are like spam emails. Nobody asked for them, and they keep showing up.