President Donald Trump has appointed Vice President Jay Di Wans to lead negotiations regarding the possible salvation of the American version of Tiktok. The fate of the popular social media app remains uncertain, but several major tech companies have shown interest in acquiring its operations in the United States. (source)
Following the enactment of the Law on Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries’ Applications, Tiktok was officially banned in the country on January 19. However, a decree signed by President Trump allowed the app to continue operating temporarily. Despite this, Tiktok remains unavailable in the main app stores due to legal uncertainties.
Under the law, ByteDance, the parent company of Tiktok, is required to sell its American business segment to avoid a complete ban. Potential buyers reportedly include Oracle, Microsoft, and Amazon. Alternatively, Tiktok’s leadership has proposed developing a data storage model that would prevent user data from being transferred to China.
Tiktok CEO, Shou of Chu, has met with White House representatives to suggest creating a joint venture with American investors. This new entity would be based in the US, controlled by American companies, and focused on protecting user data. This proposal resembles a previous arrangement involving Oracle and Walmart from 2020.
Amidst the uncertainty, Tiktok has allowed Android users to download the app directly from its official site, bypassing Google Play. However, iPhone users in the US do not have this option due to restrictions within the iOS ecosystem – a bypass is only possible in EU countries.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and owner of X* (Twitter), has denied rumors of his interest in acquiring Tiktok. In a January interview, Musk stated that he seldom buys companies and has no plans to purchase Tiktok. However, speculations arose following Trump’s comments on January 22 indicating he would not object to a “magic” purchase of Tiktok.
Negotiations regarding Tiktok’s future are ongoing, with no final decision yet. The outcome of this transaction may serve as a test for the new Trump administration, involving national security concerns and implications for the tech industry.
*Please note that the social network X* is prohibited in the Russian Federation.