According to some sources, Trump would force the owner of TikTok to divest the app. This move has led to the appearance of numerous rumors about Microsoft acquiring TikTok’s US operations, which is something that Trump does not support.
He stated: “[It’s] not the deal that you have been hearing about that they are going to buy and sell, and this and that. And Microsoft and another one. We’re not an M&A company.”
After the announcement, Trump started negotiating between the White House, ByteDance, and potential buyers of TikTok. Among these buyers, there’s also Microsoft. But they were not able to come up with a deal that would result in the company discarding the apps’ US operations. They are still in talks.
The expectations of ByteDance for TikTok is of more than $50 billion, but the deal is very complicated since ByteDance insists on retaining a minority stake in the app.
Trump stated that they’re banning TikTok. He said he has no problem in using emergency economic powers or executive order because he has the authority to do so.
People are worrying that the data the app collects on the US users can go into the hands of the Chinese, even if representatives of TikTok stated that all of the stored data goes outside of China and that Beijing has no way to get their hands on it.
The biggest investors in TikTok come from the US. According to TikTok spokesperson Hilary McQuaide, “We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform.”
