Trump Confirms Microsoft’s Interest in Acquiring TikTok Amid Uncertain Future

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok, as the app faces an uncertain future in the American market. A U.S. law requires TikTok to either sell its Chinese ownership, ByteDance, or face a ban from operating in the country.

Responding to a question about Microsoft’s potential acquisition of TikTok, Trump stated: “I would say yes. There’s a lot of interest in TikTok; there’s great interest in TikTok.” He also noted that a bidding war for the app would be a positive development.

The push for TikTok to divest from ByteDance stems from concerns that the Chinese government could use the platform to spy on Americans or covertly influence U.S. public opinion. These fears led to legislation prohibiting TikTok, which was set to take effect on January 19.

In a bid to negotiate a deal with Beijing, Trump temporarily paused the implementation of the ban for two and a half months. As the deadline approached, TikTok briefly suspended operations in the U.S. However, Trump later announced plans to further delay the ban until after his inauguration to pursue a resolution.

Although the outgoing Biden administration initially stated it would not impose a ban, TikTok eventually resumed nationwide operations, attributing the decision to Trump’s efforts to negotiate a compromise.