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MICROSOFT IS IN advanced talks to buy the US operations of TikTok – the popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns, according to reports.
The potential deal would be a victory for both companies, making Microsoft a major player in the social media arena and providing relief to TikTok and its parent company Bytedance, a target of President Donald Trump.
President Trump said on Friday that he would take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok in the United States. His comments aboard Air Force One came after published reports that the administration is planning to order China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok.
“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned from Florida.
The president said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to enforce the action, insisting, “I have that authority.”
He added: “It’s going to be signed tomorrow.”
Microsoft declined to comment.
Reports by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal citing anonymous sources said the administration could soon announce a decision ordering ByteDance to divest its ownership in TikTok.
There have been reports of US tech giants and financial firms being interested in buying or investing in TikTok as the Trump administration sets its sights on the app.
The New York Times and Fox Business, citing an unidentified source, first reported on Friday that Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok.
TikTok issued a statement on Friday saying that, “While we do not comment on rumours or speculation, we are confident in the long-term success of TikTok.”
On Saturday, it posted a short video from its US general manager Vanessa Pappas, saying that “We’re not planning on going anywhere”.
ByteDance launched TikTok in 2017, then bought Musical.ly, a video service popular with teens in the US and Europe, and combined the two. A twin service, Douyin, is available for Chinese users.
TikTok’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular, and US tech giants like Facebook and Snapchat see it as a competitive threat. It has said it has tens of millions of US users and hundreds of millions globally.
But its Chinese ownership has raised concerns about the censorship of videos, including those critical of the Chinese government, and the potential for sharing user data with Chinese officials.
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What an odd strategy ‘sell your company to one of our companies or become outlawed in our country.’
China us causing concerns for sure but could the EU make a similar threat for TikTok or the products of other companies?
It just sounds to odd to me.
@8-Bit-Relic: *is causing
@8-Bit-Relic: he’s probably trying to drive the price down for Microsoft
@8-Bit-Relic: it’s America just being.. well…. America. They see someone else with something valuable so they just…. Take it.
@Peter Cavey: The article said they were in talks to purchase the US part of TikTok. It’s certainly not being ‘taken’ and should only effect US users of it.
Conspiracy theories incoming…
@Christopher O’Brien: they spend Sunday morning making new tin foil hats for the week.
@Christopher O’Brien: well, the recent past while has shown that reality is way ahead of most conspiracies, so can you blame them!!
The saying “just because you are a paranoid schizophrenic doesn’t mean they are not out to get you” is proving very true.
It’s all politricks
It’s funny. This is the first time I’ve heard of this Tik Tok. Excuse me while I go back under my rock.
Of course Trump wants it banned. Tiktok users sabotaged his Oklahoma gathering and some of its top users regularly lambast him. We all know how thin skinned he is. It’s the most popular app amongst young users at the moment so no surprise that Microsoft would want a piece of it. I don’t think that the Chinese government are going to win the cyber war by knowing the browsing habits of 15 year old Chad from Nebraska
@Ger: I expect if Microsoft purchases the US arm of TikTok, Chad from Nebraska will be able to carry on making your post moot and silly.
Americans…. what they can’t control and censor they get rid of……
@Sean Mc Cabe: The US is banning the CCP from spying through TikTok. It’s the continuation of China’s malign influence being removed from the country. There will be much more coming. They are being kicked out of almost everything in the US. US manufacturing is also leaving China. Yes, that’s control of intellectual property and national security.
The app will be acceptable once the Americans are doing the spying with it.
@Ed: Yes Americans want to know what color your skivvies are. Probably yellow.
Oh jesus. Here come the anti Bill Gates brigade again. Tinfoil hats at the ready.
wsj reports microsoft-and-bytedance-put-tiktok-talks-on-hold-after-trump-signals-opposition
@robert: from a legal standpoint he can’t ban any product without cause. He can unilaterally ban all Chinese products operating in the US, but if Tik Tok US operations were divested and in US control then he’d have a real problem finding cause to ban it if User Data’s being retained in the US…
wsj.com/articles/microsoft-and-bytedance-put-tiktok-talks-on-hold-after-trump-signals-opposition
wsj reports microsoft and bytedance put tiktok talks on hold after trump signals opposition
have your say