A ban on TikTok could be resolved without selling to an American company, according to an American council member.

The long history of TikTok's ban continues, with a member of ByteDance's board suggesting that a compromise could be possible.

The observation was made by William E. Ford, an American businessman who is one of the directors of the parent company ByteDance…

If you need a refresher on the history so far, check out a previous article, but the key facts are:

• The law requires the app to be sold to an American company.
• Until that changes, TikTok remains banned in the United States.
• Which means the app can be used, but American businesses cannot host or offer it for download.
• Trumpon's executive order does not change this and is probably illegal.
• Apple continues to comply with the law.

According to Bloomberg, Ford suggests that an agreement offer could be possible, due to discussions between Trump and China's president.

We are optimistic of finding a solution," said Ford during a conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "There are several alternatives we can discuss with President Trump and his team that allow the company to continue operating, perhaps with some change of control of some kind, but without having to sell" [...]

Ford says: "I am optimistic about the dialogue emerging between President Trump and President Xi." "This could help create a much more constructive environment, higher participation which could lead to a positive solution.

What form this compromising could take is not clear, while the law requiring the sale is established.

Ford is the CEO of the investment firm General Atlantic, which holds a stake in ByteDance, giving him a seat at the board.

Photograph by Solen Feyissa on Unsplas