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TikTok’s future in US: Could Elon Musk be next owner? What we know so far

World: China is considering selling TikTok’s US operations to Elon Musk as a contingency if the platform cannot avoid a US ban. ByteDance is battling the ban in court, while rivals like Instagram and YouTube stand to gain from TikTok's potential exit.

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Edited By: Muskan Dhami
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Elon Musk (X/@elonmusk)

World: China is indeed considering the possibility of selling TikTok's US operations to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, as Bloomberg puts it. The offer comes after a highly debated ban imposed by US authorities over national security concerns for this popular social media application. However, Chinese officials prefer that the parent company, ByteDance, retains ownership. If that cannot be achieved, selling the US operations to Musk is emerging as a contingency plan.

Musk's connection to the debate

For several months now, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk has been everywhere-there and present in both technological and political contexts. The prospect of the merger has gained immense interest, which is also intensified by his affinity toward former President Donald Trump, as the latter takes a hard-line stance on Beijing. Musk had recently been confirmed as cochair with Vivek Ramaswamy of the recently established Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE.

ByteDance challenges TikTok ban in court

The Chinese parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, is fighting hard against the proposed ban in the US Supreme Court. According to legal analysts, the court may well uphold restrictions on the platform. ByteDance has been given a January 19 deadline to either sell TikTok or risk a complete ban in the United States.

Lawmakers have voiced their concerns over the reported collection of US user data by TikTok and possible threats to national security. With approximately 170 million users in the US, an influence in the existing social media market, and a complete ban might have resounding effects.

Impact on social media competitors

A ban or sale of TikTok may be beneficial for competitors such as Meta Platforms' Instagram and Google's YouTube. Both have implemented short-video features to capture the audience that TikTok currently dominates. If Elon Musk acquires TikTok, it could be reformed in the same way he did with Twitter, which he bought and branded "X" in 2023.

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