Microsoft in Talks to Acquire TikTok Over US National Security Concerns
US President Donald Trump has said that Microsoft is in talks to acquire short video-sharing app TikTok to help the popular app avoid a ban that could begin in April, AP reports.
‘I would say yes,’ Trump told reporters when asked if Microsoft was one of the companies interested in helping to obtain new ownership of TikTok, a requirement set by Congress for the app to operate in the United States.
Trump said he would like to see competition among potential buyers of the platform and added that other companies were also interested in acquiring TikTok, but did not provide a list.
‘I like wars because you make the best deals,’ Trump said while speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Miami.
It is noted that Microsoft declined to comment on the issue. TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is noted that this is the second time that Microsoft is considering the acquisition of TikTok.
Perplexity AI startup on Sunday made a merger proposal with TikTok, with the US government receiving up to half of the new company's shares in the future, a source told Reuters.
Earlier, Trump said he was in talks with several parties to buy TikTok and would likely make a decision on the app's future within the next 30 days.
TikTok has about 170 million US users. The app was briefly shut down just before a law came into effect on 19 January requiring Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell it for national security reasons or face a ban.