Is CapCut Getting Banned In The US? Here's Why Its Fate Could Be Tied To TikTok

TikTok users were left confused and frustrated when the short form video platform went dark on January 18, 2025, seemingly bringing other mobile apps down with it. The short-lived freeze also affected CapCut, a popular video editing app that has a chokehold on content creators and social media users. Why did CapCut go dark, and will the app eventually be banned? 

The United States government threatened to ban TikTok in the spring of 2024 following a long-time push from President Donald Trump in his last term, stating that its parent company ByteDance had to sell the app to keep it live in the states. This came from the government's growing concerns over Chinese companies like ByteDance having sensitive U.S. user data. While TikTok seemed to be the face of the legislation due to its powerful algorithm and popularity, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications Act states that all applications provided by ByteDance are part of the ban. CapCut is currently owned by ByteDance. 

Going back on his first term decision, Trump stated that he would "save" TikTok when he was back in office on January 20, 2025. This brought back ByteDance's popular apps like TikTok, CapCut, Marvel SNAP, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. But these apps are not completely in the clear just yet.

While TikTok users were greeted with a joyous message thanking President Trump on Monday, just a few hours after the app went dark, ByteDance is not completely off the hook. The executive order that Trump signed has only halted the ban for 75 days. This means apps like TikTok and CapCut could go dark once more after that time period. 

Right now, TikTok and CapCut are back on people's phones, but are not available on the iPhone App Store. That's because the ban is only stopped temporarily — ByteDance is still required to sell TikTok, CapCut, and its other apps to ensure they're available in the United States, but the deadline is now extended. Right now, it's unclear if ByteDance is willing to sell TikTok and its other apps — China doesn't plan to sell the app's addictive algorithm, but interested buyers include millionaire YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, Project Liberty (which includes "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary), former Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, video sharing platform Rumble, and Elon Musk.