ALBAWABA - US President Donald Trump announced that Microsoft, the leading American provider of computer software, hardware for computers, mobile and gaming systems, and cloud services, is in talks to acquire TikTok, the Chinese social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short videos, in the United States.
TikTok ban in the US
TikTok, the social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover short-form videos, owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company was officially banned in the US on January 19.
The decision came after the Supreme Court ruled to ban the popular app in the country, citing concerns over potential user data collection and influence operations by China.
President-elect Donald Trump announced a 75-day postponement of the TikTok ban and the popular platform resumes operations in the United States after reports indicate that Trump is seeking potential buyers for the platform. This move is part of the proposed solutions to address concerns over TikTok’s ties to China.
It is worth noting that Microsoft previously bid to acquire TikTok in the U.S. back in 2020, but the offer was declined. (Shutterstock)
Microsoft to acquire TikTok
US President Donald Trump stated that Microsoft is in talks to acquire the popular TikTok app in the country. However, as of now, Microsoft, TikTok, and ByteDance have not responded.
According to sources, Trump proposed the idea of selling the application to an American stakeholder, who would then sell 50% of the company to the US government, allowing it to be involved in running the platform.
Among the names suggested as potential buyers of TikTok were Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, MrBeast, and Oracle.
It is worth noting that Microsoft previously bid to acquire TikTok in the US back in 2020, but the offer was declined. At the time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the deal as 'the strangest thing I’ve ever worked on.
