*President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day delay in enforcing a TikTok ban initially set to take effect on January 19. He suggested the U.S. government might partially own TikTok’s U.S. operations if a deal is finalized and warned of potential tariffs on China if Beijing does not approve such a transaction.
Multiple parties, including Elon Musk, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison, and billionaire Frank McCourt, have shown interest in acquiring TikTok to comply with U.S. law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. YouTube star MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, has expressed interest in purchasing TikTok
“TikTok, I’m on a private jet right now about to put in my official offer for this platform,” Jimmy Donaldson, better known on the internet as the creator MrBeast, said in a video. “I might become your guys’ new CEO.”
Recent developments have increased the likelihood of a sale, with TikTok’s U.S. operations valued at up to $50 billion. China has signaled willingness to permit a partial sale of ByteDance’s holdings.
Despite progress, challenges remain, including the potential impact on TikTok’s algorithm, which powers its highly personalized user experience. Trump has proposed a joint venture splitting ownership between ByteDance and the U.S., though details remain unclear.
Reports suggest discussions about selling TikTok to Elon Musk or integrating it with X (formerly Twitter) are under consideration, though ByteDance has denied such claims.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s brief 12-hour shutdown, followed by its quick restoration after a reaction from Trump, seemed like a strategic move to spark public outrage, according to policy experts quoted by The New York Post.
“TikTok’s early shutdown either came down to corporate incompetence or a deliberate PR stunt to encourage a manufactured sense of panic,” said Joel Thayer, a DC-based tech lawyer and president of the Digital Progress Institute, per the Post. “Given it’s waffling, I’m assuming it’s the latter.”
The app is currently unavailable for redownload on major app stores.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: TikTok’s Brief Shutdown and Quick Restoration Spark Speculation About a PR Stunt
