President Donald Trump said that American tech giant Microsoft is in talks to acquire the popular and controversial social media platform TikTok.
Earlier this month, then-President-elect Trump acted in an attempt to save the China-based social media app from a looming blackout. While the app did end up going black, it was only temporary, and TikTok was quickly back online and available for American users.
The federal ban on the platform resulted from legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden last year that mandated the app’s parent company, ByteDance, sell the platform to an American owner. Unable or unwilling to do so, TikTok eventually found itself pressed against the January 19 deadline. However, Trump was ultimately credited with saving the ultra-popular platform.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” read a January 19 TikTok post on the social media platform, X.
While the immediate issue of the ban was resolved, the platform’s future in the United States remains uncertain. Due to national security concerns, pressure remains to have ownership transferred to American hands. Trump’s last-minute move to save TikTok and his first-day executive order only gave the platform 75 additional days to come up with a solution.
Last week, President Trump said he was in talks with multiple people about a potential acquisition of the platform, adding he would likely have a decision on the app’s future within 30 days. Microsoft attempted to purchase the app in 2020, becoming the highest bidder, but talks eventually fell apart.
Trump has even suggested that Elon Musk buy the app, as he did with X, formerly known as Twitter. So far, Musk has not commented on Trump’s proposal.