In a surprising turn of events, TikTok's US operations may soon have a new owner: tech mogul Elon Musk.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Chinese officials are considering the sale of the popular social media platform to Musk, a move driven by the ongoing tensions over national security concerns.
The potential sale comes as Washington has set a deadline of January 19th for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest its US operations.
US policymakers argue that TikTok poses a significant risk to national security due to its extensive access to data on American users—a claim that ByteDance has consistently denied.
Bloomberg reports that while China would prefer TikTok to remain under ByteDance's control, where it holds a so-called golden share, alternative solutions are being explored.
One such option includes transferring ownership to Musk's social media platform X, should ByteDance be unable to prevent a potential US ban.
In response to the speculation, TikTok dismissed the reports as "pure fiction," with no immediate comments from other involved parties.
The proposed US legislation mandating the sale or ban of TikTok is currently under review by the Supreme Court.
Last week, TikTok's attorney Noel Francisco expressed optimism about the outcome, emphasizing the justices' deep engagement with the case and its broader implications for First Amendment rights.
Despite this, legal experts suggest that the Supreme Court justices may lean towards upholding the law, prioritizing national security issues.
As the situation develops, the tech world watches closely to see if Musk will indeed add TikTok to his portfolio of high-profile ventures. Reuters
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