China Reportedly Considers Selling TikTok US Operations To Elon Musk

Chinese officials are reportedly evaluating the possibility of selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk as the Biden administration pushes ByteDance to divest. Bloomberg reported that Beijing may approve this move if TikTok cannot avoid being banned in the United States.

The Biden administration has set a January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets to an American company or face a ban. Officials argue that Chinese influence over the platform poses serious national security risks, especially regarding data privacy and content control.

ByteDance has opposed these demands, refusing to hand over the app’s key algorithm and filing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court. The company claims that forced divestment violates its First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court heard arguments but has not yet issued a decision.

Elon Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022 and turned it into X, is known for his opposition to censorship on social media. His potential involvement in TikTok has sparked speculation that he could reshape the platform if a deal were finalized. However, no formal talks between Musk and ByteDance have been confirmed.

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Concerns over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government have intensified due to China’s “golden share” in ByteDance. Lawmakers argue that this stake allows Beijing to influence content and access sensitive data, making the app a potential security threat.

President-elect Donald Trump, who once aimed to ban TikTok during his first term, has since softened his stance. He recently urged the Supreme Court to block the Biden administration’s ban, citing his campaign’s effective use of the platform.

With the January 19 deadline approaching, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain. Whether ByteDance will sell, shut down operations or if Musk will step in as a buyer is still unknown.