TikTok has denied reports that Chinese authorities are considering selling its U.S. operations to tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk ahead of a possible ban on Sunday. , called the report “complete fiction.”
TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement that “we cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
The popular video-sharing platform will face a new law that takes effect on January 19th that will force China-based parent company ByteDance to exit the app or face a ban from U.S. app stores and networks. We are making preparations for the upcoming event.
Ahead of Sunday's deadline, reported by bloomberg The Chinese government is reportedly considering a scenario in which Musk's social platform X would take control of TikTok's U.S. operations and jointly run the two companies.
Musk, who has previously declared himself a “free speech absolutist,” said in April that he didn't think the app should be banned, saying it “violates freedom of speech and expression.” said.
The tech mogul is also a close ally of President-elect Trump, who vowed to “save TikTok” during the campaign.
After the Supreme Court took up TikTok's challenge to the law last month, Trump filed a brief with friends of the court asking the justices to delay introducing the law so he could negotiate a deal after taking office.
The president-elect argued that such an agreement would obviate the need for the Supreme Court to weigh the First Amendment implications of the No-Sell Act, which TikTok claims is unconstitutional.
The justices who heard oral arguments on Friday appeared to be siding with the Biden administration. Governments are increasingly wary of TikTok's ties to China and the possibility that the Chinese government could access user data or secretly manipulate U.S. algorithms.
