On the 27th of January, 2025, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Microsoft is negotiating a potential acquisition of TikTok amid growing uncertainty surrounding the app’s future in the United States.
Reports suggest that TikTok is grappling with a US law requiring the platform to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face an outright ban in the country.
When pressed late Monday about the rumored discussions, Trump told reporters, “I would say yes.
There’s a lot of interest in TikTok; there’s great interest in TikTok,” further hinting that a bidding war over the platform would be a welcome outcome.
The controversy stems from a law, effective on the 19th of January, that prohibits TikTok’s operation in the US due to fears of potential exploitation by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or subtly sway public opinion.
Yet, Trump intervened, pausing its enforcement for two and a half months in a bid to seek a resolution with Beijing.
As the deadline loomed, TikTok temporarily suspended its operations in the United States.
However, Trump vowed to issue an executive order delaying the ban to allow time for a deal to materialize.
TikTok later resumed its services, crediting Trump for averting the shutdown though the outgoing Biden administration had previously stated it would not uphold the ban.