Trump to Extend TikTok Sale Deadline for Third Time, White House Confirms

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U.S. President Donald Trump will extend the June 19 deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest the app’s U.S. assets by 90 days, according to the White House. This marks the third extension of the deadline imposed by a law requiring either a sale or shutdown of TikTok in the United States unless significant progress toward divestment was made.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump plans to sign another executive order this week to keep TikTok operational, pushing the deadline to mid-September. She emphasized the administration’s intention to ensure the sale is completed so Americans can continue using TikTok with confidence in their data’s security.

Trump previously extended the deadline twice: initially delaying enforcement from January to early April, then again to June 19. He cited TikTok’s popularity among young voters in the 2024 election as a reason for the extensions. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he expected to extend the deadline again and expressed optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve the deal.

The law mandated TikTok’s shutdown by January 19 unless ByteDance completed the sale of its U.S. operations or demonstrated significant progress. Negotiations have aimed to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new, majority U.S.-owned company, but progress stalled after China signaled it would not approve the deal, especially following Trump’s announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods.

Democratic senators have criticized the extensions, questioning Trump’s legal authority to continue delaying enforcement and expressing concerns that the proposed deal would not satisfy legal requirements.

Suspected Russian Hackers Use Sophisticated New Tactic to Target UK Researcher

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Suspected Russian hackers deployed a novel and highly convincing tactic to trick British researcher Keir Giles into compromising his own accounts, according to Giles and cybersecurity experts.

Last month, the hackers impersonated a U.S. State Department official named “Claudie Weber” who contacted Giles via email to arrange a meeting requiring use of a secure government app. Although the email came from a Gmail address, the communication was fluent, idiomatic, and included apparent State Department colleagues copied on the exchange. Giles, a seasoned expert on Russia and espionage, was usually wary but was eventually deceived by the professionalism and persistence over nearly two weeks.

Giles provided an app-specific password—a credential that grants third-party app access but can bypass regular password protections—thus exposing his account.

Alphabet’s Google attributed the attack to the Russian government, citing similarities to prior campaigns. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to inquiries. Giles described the operation as seamless, with no obvious red flags even in hindsight.

Cybersecurity researchers from Citizen Lab noted the attack’s fluency might indicate the use of advanced AI, such as large language models, to craft convincing messages—marking a significant upgrade from typical error-ridden phishing attempts. They also pointed out that the hackers exploited the lack of error messages when sending emails to fake State Department addresses.

This sophisticated social engineering attack highlights evolving cyber threats where even cautious experts can be deceived by carefully orchestrated campaigns.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the incident.

Totvs in Talks to Acquire Linx, Eyes Further Brazil Deals in 2025

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Brazilian software company Totvs SA is actively negotiating to acquire Linx, the retail software unit of StoneCo, and is also exploring other acquisition opportunities within Brazil for 2025, CEO Dennis Herszkowicz told Reuters.

Totvs has pursued Linx since 2020, but StoneCo ultimately acquired the company in a 6.7 billion reais ($1.22 billion) deal. In April, Totvs entered exclusive talks to buy Linx from StoneCo. Herszkowicz said the acquisition would be beneficial given Linx’s leadership in retail software, but emphasized that closing the deal is not essential for Totvs’ growth.

“Totvs is very broad. And our portfolio is very wide. There isn’t one acquisition that solves everything we want to solve,” he said. The accelerating adoption of AI, cloud computing, and other digital technologies is creating multiple acquisition opportunities, which Totvs views as effective growth shortcuts.

While Totvs operates in several Latin American countries, its focus remains firmly on Brazil, which accounts for the majority of its business. Herszkowicz declined to comment on the timing or financial terms of the Linx negotiations or other potential deals.

The CEO also denied reports that Totvs plans to sell its stake in Dimensa, a fintech joint venture with Brazil’s stock exchange operator B3. He confirmed the company has not engaged advisors for such a sale and said no transaction is currently underway.

Totvs intends to fund acquisitions without needing to divest assets, underscoring the company’s strong financial position and strategic flexibility.