After the entire TikTok ban chaos, users are still unsure as to what will happen to the app in the future even if it has currently been made available in the country. According to a recent report, President Donald Trump has said that Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok. The social media app currently has 170 million American users.
A Competitive Bidding War?
Trump told reporters that Microsoft wants to buy TikTok. When asked if they were making an offer, he said “I would say yes”. He also said multiple companies want to buy the app. Therefore, there could be a bidding war for it.
U.S. Government Concerns Over TikTok
The U.S. government has been pressuring TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations. They fear China could misuse TikTok’s data. Both Trump and President Joe Biden have been concerned about privacy and Chinese government control of the app.
Read more: Perplexity AI Proposes TikTok Merger
Trump’s Stance on TikTok’s Future
Trump insisted the app remain in the U.S. but without any Chinese control. China “will not be involved,” he said, “but we’ll see what happens.” He also said that a decision related to TikTok’s fate could come within the next 30 days.
Microsoft’s History with TikTok
Microsoft attempted to acquire TikTok previously. In 2020, under Trump, ByteDance had discussions with Microsoft. However, the deal never went through. At one time, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella referred to that deal as “the weirdest thing I’ve ever worked on.”
TikTok Temporarily Shut Down
Tiktok was temporarily taken down in the US. This came after Trump signed an executive order that would postpone a law that forces ByteDance to sell TikTok or be banned. The extension gives TikTok 75 additional days before a ban goes into effect.
Other Companies also Interested
Microsoft isn’t the only one interested in TikTok; billionaire Elon Musk is also tied to the deal, although he has made no public comments. The AI startup Perplexity AI has likewise suggested a merger with TikTok. If the deal goes through, the U.S. government could end up with as much as half of the new company, reports said.
Trump’s administration had previously pushed for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations. While the heat is still on, we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the next few weeks.
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