Due to recent legislation, the social media app Tik Tok is facing a potential ban in the United States.
Specifically, if Tik Tok is not sold to an American business, it could be banned altogether.
According to recent reports, Elon Musk is considering stepping in to save the day.
Reportedly, Musk is in talks with Chinese officials to buy Tik Tok it if they cannot stop the U.S. ban.
Take a look:
JUST IN: Chinese officials are discussing a possible sale of TikTok to Elon Musk if the company is unable to stop the US ban, according to Bloomberg.
Big, if true.
Musk has previously spoken out against banning TikTok, arguing that although it would help X, he is against… pic.twitter.com/7m2V6fTlB9
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 14, 2025
🚨#BREAKING: Chinese officials are reportedly weighing a proposal for Elon Musk to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations in the event the app faces ahead of a potential ban, with the deadline looming on January 19. pic.twitter.com/lM2Rjt6GUu
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 14, 2025
The Washington Examiner reported:
Chinese officials are reportedly considering selling the U.S. operations of TikTok to X owner Elon Musk.
Chinese officials are still hoping for ByteDance to keep full ownership of the company, but some view a sale to Musk as preferable to a ban, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The move would allow TikTok to remain in operation while Beijing officials could begin the Trump administration in good graces.
According to the outlet, the plan would be for X to take control of the U.S. portion of TikTok and run the two together, similar to the sale of Instagram to Facebook, now Meta.
People familiar with the matter said that Beijing is worried about tariffs and a harsher stance from President-elect Donald Trump, and they view the sale of TikTok to a close Trump ally as a way to reconcile.
Now, according to BBC, the company that owns Tik Tok has come out and said that these reports are “pure fiction.”
TikTok has called a report that China is considering allowing a sale of the social media company’s US operations to Elon Musk “pure fiction.”
The firm’s comments came in response to a report by Bloomberg that Chinese officials are weighing an option that could see its business in America being sold to the world’s richest person if the US Supreme Court upholds a ban on the app.
Supreme Court justices are set to rule on a law that would see either TikTok banned in the US or its operations in the country sold off to an American investor.
TikTok has repeatedly said that it will not sell its US operation.
“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a TikTok spokesperson told BBC News.
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However, that hasn’t stopped the left from having an absolute meltdown over the possibility.
Take a look at these responses on X:
IF ELON MUSK BUYS TIK TOK WE ARE DOOMED!!!!! 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/bP5mPw9Cm6
— 𝑫𝒐𝒏 ☁︎︎ (@Donxshinobi) January 14, 2025
China is talking about giving Tik Tok to Elon Musk to stop the ban.
I’d rather go without Tik Tok than have his hands on it ! pic.twitter.com/QByLNmWA1u
— Winters Politics ❄️ (@WintersPolitics) January 14, 2025
If Elon Musk buys tik tok… pic.twitter.com/onBPXAqat5
— 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴 (@DaveShecky) January 14, 2025
What do you think?
If the rumors end up being true, would you like to see it happen?
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