Chinese officials have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions about a possible sale of TikTok's operations in the U.S. to billionaire Elon Musk.
Although , Beijing prefers TikTok to remain under the ownership of China's parent company, ByteDance, alternative options, including marketing to Musk, have been considered, according to Bloomberg.
TikTok has steadily risen to become one of the largest social networks in the world, surpassing platforms like Facebook and Instagram in downloads as early as 2018, and now boasts 176 million users in the United States.
However, its growth has raised concerns among American politicians about possible influence from the Chinese Communist Party over the management of the program.
In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation mandating ByteDance abandon the platform or face a full ban, with the Supreme Court appearing to support this legislation, which could lead to a decision by Jan. 19.
A potential acquisition by Musk would now place him in a unique position, owning X, one of the largest social media platforms globally, alongside the U.S. operations of another, while also acting as a key adviser to Donald Trump.
ByteDance dismissed the report, stating, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” in a response to CNBC. In April, Congress passed a bipartisan bill that would prohibit TikTok in the U.S. unless it secures a new owner. Federal officials have labeled the platform a significant national-security risk due to its alleged connections to China and the associated fears regarding U.S. user data privacy.
Both TikTok and ByteDance contend that these claims are baseless and are currently contesting the ban at the Supreme Court. During recent hearings, the justices expressed doubt about the company's First Amendment claims.
Chief Justice John Roberts remarked that Congress is not concerned with TikTok's content but rather with preventing Chinese control over the platform.
Justice Elena Kagan noted that the law specifically targets this foreign entity, which lacks First Amendment protections.
Donald Trump is attempting to postpone the ban, set to take effect on January 19, just before he assumes office, with hopes of addressing TikTok's future through political avenues once in power.