- TikTok might have a new owner as Trump announces Microsoft’s potential acquisition
- The U.S. Government has long pressured ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations
- Concerns over national security and data privacy have fueled the push for a sale
The world’s leading app for perfecting your procrastination skills might have a new owner. This week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Microsoft could acquire TikTok soon.
TikTok has been a topic of discussion for a long time in American politics. For years, the U.S. Government has been pressuring ByteDance, the Chinese firm that owns the App, to sell its U.S.-based operations to native companies.
The previous administration came to the point of banning TikTok in America, a move later lifted by the new President. Despite the lift, Trump continued to pressure ByteDance to sell, giving the company 75 days to do so before yet another ban.
Trump has declared that he would like to sell the social media app to the highest bidder. When asked by reporters if Microsoft was in talks to acquire TikTok, the Republican said “I think so, yes”, before affirming that there were several different companies interested in the acquisition.
The TikTok purchase has been the topic of conversation for quite a while, with several different billionaires stepping forward for a chance to purchase the app. Notably, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, Elon Musk, and the Youtuber “Mr. Beast” have all shown interest in buying TikTok.
This topic expands beyond just a business acquisition and has taken the mantle of National Security for the United States. As a Chinese-owned firm, many in the U.S. worry that the Chinese government could access the vast amounts of personal data collected from American users, posing a risk to user privacy and national security.
TikTok has become incredibly popular among Americans, particularly the youth. Today, there are over 170 million users on U.S. ground, making it one of the most widely used social media platforms in the country.
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