US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Jan 21) expressed openness to his close ally tech billionaire Elon Musk acquiring TikTok, the Chinese-owned app embroiled in legal controversies. When asked by reporters if he would be open to Musk acquiring TikTok, Trump stated, "I would be if he wanted to buy it". Musk, who owns the social media platform X, is yet to comment on the possibility.
Also read | Trump's Secretary of State Rubio warns China as Quad nations push for free Indo-Pacific
TikTok is under pressure to comply with a US law demanding its parent company, ByteDance, sell its American operations or face a ban. Companies found in violation of the law risk fines of up to $5,000 per user. The legislation, driven by fears that Beijing could exploit the app for surveillance or influence, has raised significant bipartisan concern.
Trump and TikTok
One of Trump's initial actions after taking office for a second term was to pause enforcement of the TikTok ban for 75 days, giving TikTok more time to address the mandate. Despite the grace period, the law remains technically active.
Amid mounting uncertainty over TikTok's fate, Trump on Monday (Jan 20) also proposed alternative solutions, including a 50-50 partnership between ByteDance and "the United States." However, he provided no specifics on how such an arrangement would operate, reports AFP.
TikTok briefly ceased US operations late Saturday as the divestment deadline approached, leaving millions of users without access. By Sunday, service resumed with assistance from Oracle, TikTok's US server provider. The app credited Trump's intervention for making the reversal possible.
Watch | Trump signs slew of executive orders on immigration, border security, TikTok | Gravitas
Despite this, the app remains unavailable on Apple and Google app stores, as the app stores have blocked new downloads and updates for existing users.
Reports last week suggested Chinese officials were considering selling TikTok’s US operations to Musk's social media platform X. However, TikTok denied the claims, dismissing the speculation.
(With inputs from agencies)