President Donald Trump has claimed that Microsoft is considering acquiring short-video platform TikTok in the United States (US), according to reports in international media.
Neither TikTok nor Microsoft has released any statement pertaining to the matter.
TikTok, which has been facing regulatory concerns in the US, was blocked briefly a day before Trump’s presidential inauguration this month. In his speech, the president confirmed that he would keep TikTok, following which the app started coming back to users.
Trump’s pledge to keep TikTok available in the US came with a twist, however. Although his executive order delayed the enforcement of the law banning TikTok by 75 days, he put forth the condition that the app must be sold in order to keep operating. TikTok’s US stakes are reportedly worth $50 billion.
Last week, Trump himself suggested buyers, including X’s owner Elon Musk and Oracle’s Chairman Larry Ellison. Various reports indicate that Trump has spoken to many people about the purchase of TikTok. Trump has said he would like to see a bidding war over the popular app’s purchase.
The law, titled “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”, forces TikTok to sell its local operations in the US or face a permanent ban. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has long been accused of having ties with the Chinese government.
Although the app has repeatedly denied reports of potential data transfers, US regulators keep expressing concerns that it could spy on American users for “traditional espionage purposes”.
