Is Elon Musk buying TikTok? ByteDance refutes recent rumor

A TikTok's spokesperson said it's nothing but a "pure fiction"

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Key notes

  • Reports suggest that Chinese officials are considering selling TikTok’s US operations to Elon Musk.
  • But, a spokesperson of the platform then refuted the claim shortly after the news broke out.
  • TikTok is currently fighting the ban, while US lawmakers urge an extension to January 19 deadline.
TikTok building

Is Elon Musk buying TikTok? Well, maybe. Or, maybe not.

An exclusive report out of Bloomberg says that Chinese officials are considering selling TikTok’s operations in the States to billionaire Elon Musk as a contingency.

It means a backup plan or alternative course of action that would be done only if ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, fails to prevent a US ban on the app.

Musk, who owns social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), emerged as a potential buyer. His X platform could then integrate the video-sharing app to boost advertising and, later, use its data for Grok xAI training.

No formal talks are being done as of now, though, as Beijing strongly prefers ByteDance to retain its ownership and challenge the ban in the US Supreme Court, which will announce its decision on January 19.

But, a TikTok spokesperson recently told the publication Al-Jazeera that the rumor has been nothing but “pure fiction,” shortly after the news broke out.

ByteDance is actively fighting the platform’s potential ban from the US market. If it goes, the video-sharing app may lose one of its most prominent markets.

Though, two Democratic lawmakers have urged President Biden to extend the deadline for ByteDance due to the app’s cultural and economic importance to millions of Americans.

Americans are reacting to the potential ban in the most unserious way possible. Since the news broke out, many have been jumping ship and seeking refuge in RedNote, an actual Chinese app (mainly) in the Chinese language that looks as if Pinterest and Instagram have a love child.

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