Donald Trump has said that he’s open to the idea of Elon Musk, who already owns X, buying TikTok.
The social media platform’s future in the United States has been up in the air after the country’s Supreme Court chose earlier this month to uphold the TikTok ban in the US unless its China-based parent company ByteDance sells it.
It came after the Biden administration raised concerns that China could access users’ information, including private messages and videos watched, and that this could be used for “espionage or blackmail.”
US national security experts also warned that China could manipulate TikTok content to promote its viewpoint or sow discord, CNN reports.
But Mr Trump, who in August 2020 issued an executive order banning US companies from any “transaction” with ByteDance and its subsidiaries, has signed an executive order delaying the app’s ban. The President now says he wants to reach a deal.
He told reporters on Tuesday: “I have met with owners of TikTok, the big owners. So, what I am thinking about saying to somebody is ‘buy it and give half to the United States of America’.”
When asked if he were open to the Tesla CEO buying the platform, Mr Trump said: “I would be, if he wanted to buy it.”
“I’d like Larry to buy it, too,” he added, referring to Larry Ellison, the chief technology officer of Oracle, a US tech company.
On his way out of the Roosevelt Room in the White House, the President was asked if he had TikTok on his phone. He replied: “No, but I think I might put it there.
“I think I’ll get it right now. By the way, again, we won the young vote; I think I won it through TikTok. So I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok.”
TikTok chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, attended Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The event was also attended by so-called “tech bros” – Mr Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
Mr Trump said in the Oval Office after he swore the Presidential oath: “I tell you what. Every rich person has called me about TikTok.”
He also discussed seeking a 50-50 partnership between “the United States” and TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance. In addition, Mr Trump suggested that he could impose new trade tariffs on China a deal were not struck.
“It would be somewhat of a hostile act” if Beijing rejected an arrangement, the President added.
